The Privy Council has appointed five new members to the General Pharmaeutical Council’s governing council after receiving a “very large” number of applications.

On April 1 this year, Bristol contractor Ade Williams, Welsh chartered accountant Gareth Powell and Dianne Ford of Northumbria University’s health and life sciences department will join the council.

In 2025, University College London NHS Trust Trust deputy chief executive Tim Jaggard and North East London ICB chief pharmacist Raliat Onatade will join.

The new council members will replace Jo Kember, Mark Hammond and Arun Midha in 2024, and Elizabeth Mailey and Jayne Salt in 2025.

“The process to recruit new Council members is carefully scrutinised by the Professional Standards Authority,” said the GPhC, adding: “This includes the PSA assessing if the GPhC has followed the principles of a good appointments process, namely: merit, fairness, transparency and openness and inspiring confidence.”

GPhC chair Gisela Abbam said: “It’s vital that our Council members are drawn from the widest possible talent pools, bringing with them different life experiences, ideas, and perspectives, to inform our discussions and decisions.  

"This year, we had a very large volume of applications from high calibre people applying to serve on our Council, and I am delighted that these five new members will be joining us over the next two years. We also recruited one new Council member who lives and works in Wales within this cohort, to maintain the important requirements for our Council to include members from across the three countries we regulate. 

"There are significant developments impacting on pharmacy and pharmacy regulation and we have an ambitious programme of work ahead. I’m sure that our new members will help shape our strategic plans for the future and help patients and wider society to benefit from safe, effective and inclusive pharmacy care. 

"I’d also like to thank our outgoing Council members for their hard work and dedication throughout their terms of office, and I wish them all the best for the future.”