Moray Integration Joint Board (IJB) has welcomed changes giving stakeholder members a full voting role in local health and social care decision-making.
From 1 September 2026, changes to legislation mean stakeholder members of Integration Joint Boards across Scotland have voting rights and share collective responsibility for Board decisions.
Moray IJB oversees the planning and commissioning of a wide range of local health and social care services, making strategic decisions to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for people and communities across Moray.
At its meeting yesterday (Thursday 24 September), the Board formally recognised the new voting status of its stakeholder members: Miriam Connor and Christine Stevens, who share the unpaid carer stakeholder role; Sheila Brumby, who brings the perspective of people who receive care and support; and Aimee McIntosh, the third sector representative.
The stakeholder members bring perspectives informed by lived experience, unpaid caring and third sector knowledge to support strategic decision-making. Their role is to contribute a broad and collective view of the issues affecting people and communities, rather than to represent individual cases or act as advocates or caseworkers.
Dennis Robertson, Chair of Moray IJB, said: “We welcome this important legislative change, which strengthens the role of lived experience members in local health and social care governance.
“Moray IJB has always valued the contribution of our stakeholder members and the insight they bring to our discussions. Our meetings are collaborative, with decisions generally reached by consensus, and we are committed to ensuring that lived experience continues to inform our decisions at every level.
“Having voting rights also brings collective responsibility for the decisions made by the Board, and our stakeholder members will now play their full part in that process.”
Stakeholder members are appointed following an open recruitment and selection process and serve a three-year term. They have the same voting rights and collective accountability as the other voting members of the IJB, who are appointed by Moray Council and NHS Grampian.
Roles, responsibilities and membership of IJBs are set out in legislation. Voting members work alongside the non-voting members, who include the Chief Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Chief Social Work Officer, other professional representatives and staff-side representatives.
More information about Moray IJB, including its membership, is available on the Moray Health & Social Care website at: www.hscmoray.co.uk/the_board/
Moray Health & Social Care Partnership Communications
