NHS Tayside Deputy Chief Executive Caroline Selkirk leaves after 30 years of service

Deputy Chief Executive Caroline Selkirk has announced that she will be leaving NHSTayside to take up the appointment of Chief Executive of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) from December.

Ms Selkirk has worked for the NHS for 30 years, 14 of which she has spent in NHS Tayside where she latterly held the position of Deputy Chief Executive.

Caroline began her career in the NHS as a State Registered Chiropractor in 1984 and worked in a range of chiropody and Public Health posts in England before returning home in 2000 to take up the position of Assistant Director of Planning and Child Health Commissioner with NHS Tayside.

Caroline was promoted to the role of Director of Change & Innovation in 2003, continuing to act as Child Health Commissioner until 2009, before taking up her current post of Deputy Chief Executive in 2011.

Nationally, Caroline has had a key role in children’s planning, chairing the National Looked-After Children’s Group on being physically, mentally and emotionally healthy and the Scottish Child Health Commissioners Group. Caroline is also a Justice of the Peace for Tayside, Central and Fife.

Caroline said, “I have really enjoyed working in Tayside and it has been a privilege to work with the staff and managers in the health service, local authority and voluntary sector to improve services for our patients and their families.

“Working with BAAF is a wonderful opportunity. Working to improve the lives and life circumstances for children has been my life-long passion, as is promoting the rights of children. One of the most fundamental rights is to grow up in a loving and supportive family. I look forward to playing my part in ensuring more vulnerable children find loving and supportive foster carers and adoptive parents.

“I would like to thank the staff of NHS Tayside for making my time working here a pleasure and I am immensely proud of all that we have achieved together.”

Lesley McLay, Chief Executive of NHS Tayside thanked Caroline for her contribution to the Health Board. She said, “Over the past 14 years, Caroline has played a pivotal role in helping to deliver services here in Tayside and especially in relation to our children’s services.

“Her contribution has been discernible and she will be greatly missed by staff and colleagues from across Tayside.”