The Agency Board - Northern Ireland Medical & Dental Training Agency

The Board of the Agency was established in April 2004 and currently consists of 6 members as follows:

Mr Derek Wilson (Chair)

Mr Wilson had a banking career spanning almost four decades, almost the latter half of which was spent managing mortgage businesses in NI, RI and GB. He concurrently chaired the UK Finance NI mortgage Committee, formerly the Council of Mortgage Lenders, for ten years. Prior to leaving banking, in 2015 Mr Wilson took up an appointment on the board of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive where he now also chairs the Resources and Performance Committee, having been re-appointed last year for a second term of five years. He joined the board of Co-ownership in 2019 and the governing body of the South Eastern Regional College in 2020, also becoming a Parades Commissioner at the start of 2021. A graduate of Queen’s University, he also serves as a Lay member of the Pharmaceutical Society Statutory Committee”.

Mr Garry McKenna

Mr Garry McKenna is a career Civil Servant with almost 38 year’s service, primarily in the Departments of Agriculture, Environment, Regional Development and Infrastructure. At present Mr McKenna is Head of Transport Legislation for the Department for Infrastructure and leads the Rail Safety Authority for Northern Ireland. Mr McKenna serves as a Lay Magistrate, as a Lay Member of the Rates and Valuation Tribunal and was a Member of the Council Of the Pharmaceutical Society for NI, from 2012-2016, serving as Vice President and President for a period.

Dr Janet Little

Dr Little has over 25 years’ experience working as a consultant in public health and at senior management team level as Assistant Director in the Public Health Agency (PHA) for 7 years.

She is a medical graduate of Queens University Belfast and completed speciality training in public health, obtaining a Master’s degree from Edinburgh University. She has a population perspective, experience in critical appraisal, data analysis and interpretation of information and knowledge of systems.

She has worked in a number of service areas including the centralisation of inpatient fracture services, the roll out of regional plans for local delivery of renal dialysis, promoting organ donation and the introduction of complex specialist drug regimes. Her contribution to the health service in Northern Ireland was recognised by the awarding of the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours in 2013.

During her tenure at the PHA she was responsible for the delivery and quality assurance of screening services and the introduction of bowel cancer screening, abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, additional bloodspot tests and digital mammography.
She has been involved with the training of junior doctors throughout her career.

Mr Brendan Garland

A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast with B.Ed Hons Education and with MSc in Computer Science and of the University of Ulster with LLB Hons in Law and Government, Brendan has over 30 years experience in Senior Management and Chief Executive/Director Positions. He spent 10 years with Andersen Consulting/Accenture working in International IT and Management Consulting . For 20 years he was CEO of the General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland, the regulatory and representative body for barristers in Northern Ireland. He has particular experience as a CEO/ MD and Responsible Person in the Health and Social Care Sector having worked as CEO for Extra Care for Elderly People Ltd and currently as Managing Director at Trackars Healthcare Ltd. Brendan is a Non-Executive Member of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

Ms Geraldine Campbell

Ms Campbell is an experienced Non-Executive Director and public appointee, who has worked across a number of sectors representing the public interest. She has a deep understanding of the regulation and development of professionals, particularly those who work within the Health and Social Care sector. She has been a Non-Executive Director of three professional regulators including regulating the social care workforce in Northern Ireland and the Dental profession across the UK. Ms Campbell joins NIMDTA board with a wealth of knowledge of the organisation’s role having provided an independent lay perspective in NIMDTA processes since 2012. As such, she has been involved in the recruitment and annual review of competency progression of doctors- in- training in Northern Ireland. She has also been a member of the visit team for quality assuring medical training opportunities in the hospital setting.

Mr Hall Graham

Mr Graham was educated at Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt and at Queens University, Belfast. Mr Graham acquired a BDS from Queens University Belfast in 1982, FDSRCPS from Glasgow in 1986 and MSc Dental Public Health from University College London in 2007.

On qualification, Mr Graham worked in the Belfast Dental School in both restorative dentistry and oral surgery, continuing in a part time undergraduate teaching role until December 2018. From 1987- 2002, Mr Graham worked as a General Dental Practitioner in Randalstown and Finaghy. In 2002, Mr Graham was appointed as Dental Advisor in the Eastern Health and Social Care Board and joined the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in 2007 as Primary Care Advisor. Mr Graham retired from RQIA in December 2018 as an Assistant Director, though he continues to be on the RQIA bank staff.

Mr Graham was appointed in 2015 as a dental member of the General Dental Council Fitness to Practise Panel and continues in that role. Mr Graham is presently a Leadership Centre Associate and also works for the HSCB looking at Out of Hours dental care.

The Agency Board is supported by a number of sub-committees as shown in the diagram below: