Society petitions Privy Council for new Charter but the controversy continues
The President and Vice-President signed the Council’s petition
to the Privy Council seeking a new Charter for the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society last week |
The Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society petitioned the Privy Council last week for a new Royal Charter. However, controversy continues to reign with five Council members and the Save Our Society campaign issuing statements expressing disappointment with aspects of the final draft Charter and the process by which it was produced. The final
text of the Charter (p826) was agreed at the December
meeting of Council.
The new Charter will now enter a final round of consultation conducted
by the Privy Council. It is expected that a notice will appear in The
London Gazette within the next week which will invite counter-petitions
or other representations. Representations, in the form of letters, can
be made by any individual. The usual length of consultation is six weeks.
The earliest that any responses could be considered by the Privy Council
is at its next meeting in February 2004.
The President of the Society has written to members this week to announce
that the Council has petitioned the Privy Council. In her letter, Dr
Gill Hawksworth thanks pharmacists for their responses to the earlier
drafts of the new Charter: “I think that most of those who responded
recognised the great opportunity of acquiring a new Charter along with
our new legislation. Some members expressed strong concerns and doubts
about aspects of the Charter. The Council took these concerns very seriously
as an important expression of the high regard in which the membership
holds the Society’s chartered status. Having listened to what pharmacists
said, the Council was able to make changes on both occasions that have
greatly improved and strengthened the document.” (Full text of
letter, see p821.)
Ann Lewis, Secretary and Registrar of the Society, said: “I am
delighted we have made the most of the opportunity to bring the Society
the benefits of a new Royal Charter at the same time the Government is
framing our new governing legislation.
“
This governance framework will allow the Society to fulfil its integrated
roles in a most dynamic way. This will help us ensure that the pharmacy
profession continues to be at the forefront of the modern health
service,” she added.
Nicholas Wood, Douglas Simpson and Noel Wicks, three members of Council
who stood for election in support of the SOS campaign, all voted against
the final draft of the Charter despite saying that some progress had
been made in securing changes. “In particular, safeguards have
now been incorporated to ensure that members are consulted before any
new membership categories are created within the Society. Additionally,
the office of President has been reinstated and restricted to a pharmacist,” they
said in a joint statement. “However, we are deeply unhappy that
a last-minute revision to the wording of the objects of the Society made
it impossible for us to accept the final draft of the Charter.”
In addition, they voted against the final draft being sent to the Privy
Council because they wanted members of the Society to be balloted first,
as agreed at the special general meeting earlier this year. This proposal
was rejected by the Council.
Two other Council members, Martin Astbury and Sultan Dajani, also raised
concerns about the new draft Charter. “The final petition of the
draft of the new Charter is an enormous improvement on the previous drafts
although we would have preferred [an object to] cite the interests of
the pharmacists in the exercise of their profession,” they said.
The SOS group has already announced that it will issue a counter-petition.
Speaking for the SOS campaign, Graham Phillips said: “The SOS campaign
is going to law. Essentially, we have exhausted all democratic ends.
We have now retained leading legal counsel who, on the basis of what
he has seen so far, believes that we have an extremely good case.”
The SOS campaign objects to the new Charter on the grounds that it was
not produced in a democratic way. The group is now appealing for financial
donations to fund its legal campaign. “We need to raise £100,000,” said
Mr Phillips. “So far, we have had pledges totalling £25,000.” He
added that the fund would be used solely for legal fees. Further information
about the SOS campaign is available on its website www.saveoursociety.org.uk.
Council report, p819 |
