Kinniburgh heads partnership

THE JOINT board responsible for making sure Shetland’s public agencies collaborate with each other has appointed NHS Shetland chairman Ian Kinniburgh to lead it.

Kinniburgh has been appointed chairman of the Shetland Partnership Board, formerly known as the community planning partnership.

Shetland Islands Council leader Gary Robinson has been elected vice chairman.

Issues up for discussion at the board’s next public meeting at 10am on 13 November at Lerwick Town Hall include integrating health and social care, and the future centralisation of police and fire services.

Kinniburgh said the board was committed to making better use of joint resources.

“The new arrangements will help the partners to hold each other to account for delivering the improved ways of communicating, planning and working that are essential for sustaining our community into the future.”

Robinson added: “There’s tremendous pressure on funding for all public services, and the partnership is a way for organisations to work more closely together to make sure every effort is made to make the most of our resources.”

Board members include representatives from the SIC, NHS Shetland, Northern Joint Police Board, Highlands and Islands Fire Board, ZetTrans, Shetland Charitable Trust, Voluntary Action Shetland, the Association of Community Councils, Shetland businesses, Shetland’s two MSYPs and the Scottish government.