The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has announced the appointment of five members to its governing Council. The 14-member Council sets the strategic direction and objectives for the organisation and checks that the organisation is meeting these objectives.
The first meeting of the Council in its new membership will take place on 10 April 2014.
Three of the appointments are new to the Council while two are current members. They will join the eight continuing members, and the new Chair, Nigel Clarke, who will take up his position from 13 March 2014.
The five appointments are: Alan Kershaw, Evelyn McPhail, Digby Emson OBE, Elizabeth Kay and Sarah Brown.
The current GPhC Chair, Bob Nicholls, who is to step down in March, said:
“I would like to congratulate the five appointees and wish them every success. They will be responsible for helping to deliver an ambitious agenda for pharmacy regulation going forward.
“I would also particularly like to thank our current Council members, including those not continuing, for their role in establishing an effective pharmacy regulator that is focused on patient safety and patient care”.
Nigel Clarke, the Chair-designate, said:
“I would like to add my congratulations to the successful candidates on their appointment. I look forward to working closely with the new Council to play our part in improving pharmacy services for patients and the public”.
The new appointments have been made by the Privy Council after a robust selection process scrutinised by the Professional Standards Authority.
The size of the governing council remains the same (14 members), with an equal number of pharmacy and lay members.
The five existing Council Members’ terms end on 12 March 2014 (with one ending on 16 March).
The new Council Members begin their terms on 13 March 2014 (with one beginning on 17 March) until 31 March 2017. The members of the Council will be:
Nigel Clarke (Chair)
Sarah Brown
Soraya Dhillon MBE
Mary Elford
Digby Emson OBE
Christina Funnell
Mohammed Hussain
Elizabeth Kay
Alan Kershaw
Evelyn McPhail
Dr Berwyn Owen
David Prince CBE
Samantha Quaye
Judith Worthington
Biographies of continuing Council members are available at http://www.pharmacyregulation.org/about-us/who-we-are/gphc-council.
Biographies of new members:
Alan Kershaw
Alan is Chair of ILEX Professional Standards Ltd, the regulatory arm of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and his executive career included 15 years with the General Medical Council and 8 years as Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners.
Previous non-executive appointments include positions with:
- Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
- General Osteopathic Council
- Solicitors Regulation Authority
- Nursing and Midwifery Council
Evelyn McPhail
Evelyn is the Director of Pharmacy for NHS Fife and is therefore responsible for providing strategic and clinical leadership, working with partner organisations on the delivery and development of pharmaceutical services.
Current appointments include:
- Member of Strathclyde University and NHS Joint Board
- Chair of NHS National Education for Scotland East Region Training Group
- Chair of the Accountable Officers Network Scotland
- Chair of the NHS Scotland Directors of Pharmacy Group
Previous appointments include:
- Chair of the Accountable Officer for Controlled Drugs Network
- Scottish Chair on the CQG Controlled Drug Group
Digby Emson OBE
Digby has significant non-executive experience, notably as Chair of the Company Chemists Association for 12 years and a non-executive director for Surecalm Healthcare.
Current appointments include
- Chairman of Buttercups Training
Previous appointments include:
- Director of Professional Services at Boots
- Executive director at Boots
- RPSGB Council member
- Member of Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee
- Chair of RPS Publications Group
Outgoing Council members*:
- Gordon Dykes (Council member September 2011 - March 2014)
- Keith Wilson (Council member March 2010- March 2014)
- Ray Jobling (Council member March 2010-March 2014)
* Outgoing Council members may include members whose terms of office have expired or members who chose not to reapply.
Role of the Council:
The 14-member council is the GPhC’s governing body and sets the strategic direction and objectives for the organisation, in line with its statutory purpose. It monitors the organisation’s performance and holds the executive to account, as well as ensuring probity and safeguarding the organisation’s assets.
The GPhC’s council comprises 14 members appointed by the Privy Council, with equal numbers of lay and registrant members. It includes least one member who lives or works wholly or mainly in each of England, Scotland and Wales.