Stephen Mathews OBE and Tom Irvine have been reappointed to the Patient and Client Council, the body that acts as the independent voice for patients and service users in Northern Ireland’s health system. Health Minister Robbie Butler announced the reappointments, though the appointments were formally made by his predecessor Mike Nesbitt before his resignation in August 2026. The new terms commenced on 12 September 2026 and will run until no later than 11 September 2030.
The reappointments come amid ongoing financial pressures, workforce shortages, and debates about hospital service reconfiguration in Northern Ireland’s health and social care sector. The PCC plays a key role in representing public interests during these changes.
Who are the reappointed members?
Stephen Mathews OBE brings extensive experience from the voluntary sector, having spent over 30 years as Chief Executive of The Cedar Foundation, a disability organisation supporting people with autism, brain injury and complex needs, until his retirement in 2021. He was awarded an OBE in 2010 for services to people with a disability.
Mathews also holds another significant public appointment. He was recently reappointed as a Commissioner to the Northern Ireland Equality Commission, a position that attracts £5,000 per annum and requires two days per month. This article notes that this dual role raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, as both bodies engage with health and social care policy—questions that the announcement does not address.
Tom Irvine has a background in corporate finance and pension governance. After 32 years with Ford Motor Company, he moved into public sector work as a part-time pension lecturer. He has 19 years of non-executive experience across private and public sectors, including seven years as a Trustee Director of the Ford/Visteon Pension Scheme and eight years with the Northern Ireland Local Government Pension Scheme. He currently serves as an Independent Assessor for Public Appointments in Northern Ireland.
Key details of the appointments
- Term: 12 September 2026 to no later than 11 September 2030 (four years)
- Remuneration: £4,219 per annum
- Time commitment: 2 days per month
- Appointment authority: Previous Health Minister Mike Nesbitt (not current Minister Robbie Butler)
- Political activity: Both members declared no political activity in the last five years—this disclosure is required under the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland
What the PCC does
The Patient and Client Council was established under the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009. Its statutory functions include:
- Representing the interests of patients, clients and carers
- Promoting public involvement in health and social care
- Assisting people with complaints
- Promoting advice and information from health bodies
- Researching best practices for public engagement
The council comprises a Chair and 16 members, including representatives from district councils, voluntary organisations, trade unions, and lay members without sectoral affiliation.
Questions raised by the announcement
Several aspects of this announcement warrant closer examination:
Dual appointments and potential conflicts: Stephen Mathews now holds two significant public roles simultaneously. The Equality Commission polices statutory equality duties across government, including in health and social care. The PCC represents public voices on those same services. While both roles are part-time, there is potential for overlap when the PCC raises concerns about equality in health provision, or when the Equality Commission investigates health service compliance.
Timing and political transition: The press release notes these reappointments were made by Mike Nesbitt, who resigned as Health Minister in August 2026 following a dispute over emergency surgery services at Causeway Hospital. Current Minister Robbie Butler is announcing decisions taken by his predecessor—a distinction the department has been careful to make clear. This highlights how ministerial turnover can create gaps between appointment decisions and public announcements.
Limited transparency on selection: The announcement states appointments are “made on merit” but provides no detail about why these specific individuals were reappointed, what they achieved in their previous terms, or whether other candidates were considered. The PCC’s own 2022-2025 strategic review found that the public wanted “more awareness of the PCC and what you do” and clearer explanation of “what powers the PCC have to challenge other HSC authorities.”
Remuneration context: The £4,219 annual payment for PCC members has increased from £3,946 when Mathews and Irvine were first appointed in 2022—a rise of roughly 7% over four years. This remains modest compared to the Interim Chair position, which attracted £18,453 with a 1.5 day per week commitment during Mathews’s previous temporary appointment.
Broader significance
These reappointments come as Northern Ireland’s health service faces what the new Health Minister has called “some of the most significant challenges in its history.” Butler has established an Independent Reconfiguration Committee to advise on controversial service changes, and has emphasised that “patient safety will be at the centre of every decision I make.”
The PCC’s role in representing public concerns during this period of reform will be crucial. Its 2022 submission to the Assembly Health Committee on palliative care access highlighted serious issues including delays in care packages, poor communication about do-not-resuscitate orders, and families left to navigate complex systems alone. The council’s ability to hold the system to account depends partly on having experienced, credible members with deep knowledge of both service delivery and governance.
However, the public might reasonably ask whether reappointing existing members—particularly one who already holds another substantial public role—best serves the goal of diverse, vigorous patient representation. The PCC’s strategic review explicitly noted public concern to “prioritise the voice of patients & carers by connecting them to decision makers.” Whether these reappointments advance that goal, or whether fresh perspectives were overlooked, remains unclear.
Questions for stakeholders
- How will potential conflicts between Stephen Mathews’s PCC role and his Equality Commission position be managed when both bodies engage with health and social care equality issues?
- What specific contributions did Mathews and Irvine make during their first terms that justified reappointment over new candidates?
- Given the PCC’s finding that the public wants clearer understanding of its powers, will the council take steps to strengthen its ability to challenge health authorities?
- Does the modest remuneration and part-time nature of these roles attract sufficient diversity of experience to represent Northern Ireland’s varied communities effectively?
- With ministerial turnover in the health portfolio, how can the public be assured that public appointments maintain continuity without becoming insulated from fresh perspectives?
The Department of Health can be contacted at pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk for further information.