Lay members in protest as Council elects new Officers
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Officers for 2004–05:
left to right, Hemant Patel (Vice-President), Gill Hawksworth (Immediate
Past President), John Jolley (Treasurer), and Nicholas Wood (President) |
One of the three Privy Council nominees on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council has resigned and the others have threatened to resign following a decision at the June
Council meeting not to give Gill Hawksworth a second term of office as President.
Although the Officers for 2003–04 were all willing to serve again,
the Council elected Nicholas Wood to succeed Dr Hawksworth as President,
Hemant Patel to replace Alison Ewing as Vice-President and John Jolley
to succeed Linda Stone as Treasurer. Dr Hawksworth remains an Officer
of the Society as its immediate past president.
When the Council came to consider the election of Officers for 2004–05,
the Secretary and Registrar (Ann Lewis) announced that she had been notified
of three candidates for the post of President. They were Sultan Dajani,
Dr Hawksworth and Mr Wood.
Mr Dajani said that he wished to withdraw his candidature.
The Council then held a ballot, the result of which was 13 votes for
Mr Wood and 11 for Dr Hawksworth.
The President (Mr Wood) thanked the Council for electing him President.
It was a difficult time for them all and he preferred not to say anything
more at that stage.
The immediate past president, Dr Hawksworth, then made the following
statement:
“Colleagues, how long have we known each other? Some of you I do
not know and you do not know me. However, the Council, I assure you all,
has achieved
much this year and there is still much to do. It is true to say that
these past 12 months we have known the days and history will judge us
by those achievements and by our actions now.
“While I am honoured and privileged to have served as your President
throughout the past year I realise that the political environment has
been influential
in the success of Mr Wood as President and above all I wish him wisdom
for his term of office. I have striven to work with integrity and determination
to achieve the best outcomes for the profession and I will continue to
do this as an Officer and Immediate Past President. It will not be an
easy year; we must be prepared to work professionally and diligently
and I ask that Council respect the corporate duty and responsibility
we have to the profession. I pay tribute to the hard work and bravery
of the Council last year, especially those who have not been re-elected
to office with the loss of an incredible wealth of talent. I salute you.
“I pay special tribute to the support from my fellow Officers,
with whom it has been a privilege to serve, especially Alison Ewing,
my excellent
Vice-President, and Linda Stone, my excellent Treasurer. In electing
these Officers last year the Council showed an extraordinary judge of
character. I would also like to thank the staff and the Secretary and
Registrar for their hard work.
“I will reiterate the words of my statement. More than ever before
it is crucial at this time that there is continuity and stability within
the organisation in the eyes of those who need to be assured that we
are credible and able to be trusted with self regulation. I believe there
would be dire consequences if this were not to be the case in terms of
the long-term future of the profession. The Council will be held responsible
for its actions and we must act honourably and work together for our
own integrity, for the public and indirectly for the good name and self-respect
of the profession. We have a responsibility to the public to make sure
we protect patients by ensuring that they are looked after by competent
pharmacists working with safe systems and delivering a high quality service.
This professionalism will contribute to the further building of public
confidence and trust. We owe this to the future generations of our profession.
The courage to face and work through conflict until a resolution is found
is not a sign of weakness but of maturity and commitment. Moreover, I
believe that preparedness to learn and improve is a sign of strength
not weakness.
“We have suffered a sea change and may never be the same again.
It is a shame. I make no apologies; I have played it straight to the
very end;
I can live with a clear conscience. I urge you all to individually think
on these things if what you are looking for is the longterm future of
our profession and the best interests of patients, because no matter
whatever the reason, no matter how deeply felt the cause, nothing can
be more important than that.”
Professor Schofield resigns
Michael Schofield (one of the three Privy Council nominee members of
Council) said that he wished to indicate his resignation from the Council.
It was a sad, shabby morning. An estimable, outstanding President had
been replaced unnecessarily, and he had great concerns for the future.
It was always a dilemma whether to stay inside and try to make things
better or to make known outside what was happening. He believed his
duty was to do the latter. He would write to the Privy Council expressing
his concerns. He would also write to the Department of Health and the
Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals.
He wished the Society well. It had an outstanding staff and it deserved
an outstanding Council. It was time that the membership took a greater
interest in those who were acting in Council on their behalf. He had
been proud to be a Council member but he did not feel proud that morning.
The President said he was sorry that Professor Schofield had decided
to take such a course of action. All would wish to express thanks for
his considerable contribution to the work of the Society and the work
of the Council for future progress of pharmacy in general. He would like
Professor Schofield to reconsider his decision, but he would respect
his view if he did not. All were trying to work for the best interests
of pharmacy, and the political situation had created an unfortunate set
of circumstances.
Professor Schofield thanked the President and then left the Council chamber.
Bob Michell, another Privy Council nominee, said that he put the Council
on notice that he would look carefully at progress with the Charter until
the end of August. If he saw any echo of the foolish divorces from political
reality that appeared in some Council election candidates’ statements,
and some of the President’s statements, he would be forced to resign
from what he regarded as an extremely distinguished Society.
The President said that he appreciated Professor Michell’s forbearance
in staying on the Council. It was right that, as a representative of
the Privy Council, he stayed with the Council on notice that it needed
to get its house in order. All wished to do that.
Phillida Entwistle said that, as the third Privy Council nominee, she
aligned herself totally with what Professor Michell had said. The three
Privy Council members had discussed the events. She and Professor Michell
took the view that they could do more good by staying than leaving but
she, too, wished to put the Council on notice that if things were not
as she would wish them to be in the next two months or so, they both
would be leaving.
The President said that that the remarks he had made to Professor Michell
applied also to Dr Entwistle. All should appreciate the work that both
had done on the Council.
Following a break, the President asked for nominations for the office
of Vice-President, and Miss Ewing and Mr Patel both nominated themselves
for the post. A ballot was held, the result of which was nine votes for
Miss Ewing and 14 for Mr Patel. Mr Patel was therefore declared elected
as Vice-President.
The President asked for nominations for the office of Treasurer. Mrs
Stone and Mr Jolley both nominated themselves for the post. In a ballot,
there were nine votes for Mrs Stone and 14 for Mr Jolley. Mr Jolley was
declared elected as Treasurer.
Nicholas Wood’s policy
statement
Under the mechanism agreed by
the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s
Council for the election of the Society’s Officers, candidates
for the presidency are required to produce an address of up to 1,000
words to demonstrate to the Council how they measure up to the job
specification and to set out their policies. The following is the
address produced by Nicholas Wood for this year’s election
It is with a considerable measure of diffidence,
but at the urging of many colleagues, that I have allowed my
name to go forward for
the post of President of the Society. For a past president to stand
again for this position is undeniably unusual — but not unprecedented.
However, the present situation is unusual and calls for unusual
solutions.
It is a matter of considerable regret to me that the promising
team of Officers that was put in place last year, have not felt
able to make the policy changes that are needed in order to make
Council’s proposals acceptable to the membership.
Furthermore, the verdict of the membership at the recent Council
elections could not be clearer. The Council would be failing in
its duty to the membership if it did not make wholesale changes
in response to the expressed wish of the electorate. Such wholesale
changes must, however, be seen as credible and responsible, not
only to the Council, but also to the Society’s staff, to
the membership and to the wider world. In agreeing to stand for
election as President, I do so in the knowledge that a credible
and experienced team is available and willing to serve to support
me. It will be a team in which I believe all sectors of the Council
will be able to have confidence.
There is no question that I am committed to reform at the Society.
There is an undeniable need to involve a substantial level of lay
membership in the regulatory functions of the Society. We must
address the Government’s agenda and that of CRHP and provide
new solutions for the new climate but in such a way that preserves
the Society’s role as a professional association and membership
body. There can be no question that there must be changes in policy.
However new initiatives on how regulation works within the Society
must be credible and comprehensive and we must unite to achieve
this outcome.
A commitment to unify the profession and put the splits behind
us is vital. Members of Council must recognise the new political
reality, and work together. And this applies not only to the Council
but also to the membership, and vitally to the staff. Much time
and effort has been put in by staff. This cannot be lost, and can
yet be developed. We have a hard working staff who, if we treat
them with respect and transparency, will I know do their best to
recognise the new realities.
There are of course many other policy issues to addressed. There
is the excellent ongoing work on CPD, on pharmacist prescribing,
and on the role and registration of technicians. I am committed
to taking these issues forward for the benefit of the profession,
patients and the public. My long record in serving the profession
in education, practice, and elsewhere, I hope speaks for itself.
The Council is in need of a new direction. The Council elections
both last year and this have been the result of great disquiet
among the membership. I will not disappoint them or let them down.
I believe that electing me, with my wide experience both within
and outside the Society, would be a move that would reassure the
membership that Council have taken their wishes on board, and have
taken the new direction. For those who still harbour doubts I believe
I can create stability in unstable times. I commit myself to act
with responsibility and with probity, always being prepared to
listen to the views of others. The Society needs a steady hand,
but a change of tack. With the support of my colleagues I believe
I can provide that.
Gill Hawksworth, Alison Ewing and Linda Stone
Council members Gill Hawksworth,
Alison Ewing and Linda Stone have asked us to publish the following
in response
to Mr Wood’s
statement. We wish to correct a point in the presidential statement of Mr
Nicholas Wood.
The Council governance handbook states that the role of the Officers
is: “(i) to meet prior to each Council meeting; (ii) to meet
between Council meetings to deal with issues which require an urgent
response or which concern new policy, and to take executive action
for subsequent ratification by the Council; (iii) to appoint the
chairmen and members of Council’s committees and subcommittees
(together with a Privy Council nominee on the Society’s Council).”
The Officers cannot, as suggested by Mr Wood, change policy. That
is the sole prerogative of the Council. |
Gill Hawksworth’s
policy statement
Although the mechanism for the
election of the Society’s Officers
does not call for the publication of addresses produced by unsuccessful
candidates for the presidency, Gill Hawksworth has requested that
we publish her address for this year’s election, which is
as follows.
I entered my term as President with true Yorkshire
grit. I understood that the task ahead was enormous and did not
underestimate the
importance of the leadership of our profession as the modernisation
agenda unfolded both within pharmacy and outside in the NHS. I
am in no doubt that our ability to self regulate is a privilege
and one that we cannot afford to lose. This year has proved that
leadership is never easy and it takes courage, vision and determination
in order to deliver a secure future for our profession while ensuring
the public’s confidence in pharmacy.
I am certain that recent events have placed enormous stress on
relationships and at this crucial time only with the continuity
and stability provided by the endorsement of a second term of office
can the membership, and, as importantly, stakeholders outside the
profession, retain any confidence in our ability to self regulate.
The Council needs to be credible and will be held responsible for
its actions and the long-term future of our profession. I urge
you to consider the consequences.
The judgement supports the previous Council’s decision and
is testimony itself to the arguments that have been raised. The
electorate will want the Council to act honourably now in the light
of that historic judgement.
I want to bring the profession along with us and ensure better
communication with the membership. I have travelled up and down
the country talking to pharmacists and I have striven hard to progress
this. You know that I always put the profession first and I have
worked all hours to help the profession realise its vision as I
promised. The Council under my leadership has demonstrated determination
to deliver a strong independent profession and has conducted its
business in a professional manner despite the threat of a legal
challenge. The Council has worked together well, making difficult
but wise decisions. I have worked with, encouraged and promoted
the skills and talents of individual Council members and the Welsh
and Scottish Executives in order to develop and implement the pharmacy
plans of the three home countries and raise the profession’s
profile while endeavouring to progress the completion of the modernisation
agenda.
Throughout this time there has been a significant change in directorate
working and I have of course been working extremely closely with
staff in the building throughout this change management period
in order to develop good working relationships.
As President I have promoted the Council’s agreed strategy
and policies for the profession in the public arena and represented
the views of the Society at meetings with Ministers, leaders of
other professions and of other pharmacy bodies and my political
skills have grown. I have worked with integrity and talked to people
at every level and represented the Society at several international
conferences. I have learnt a great deal more about the aspirations
of ordinary pharmacists through my work with the branches and I
have shared with them the professional leadership and development
work of the Society in order to move forward the agenda on IT,
shared patient records, supplementary and independent prescribing,
preregistration, future competencies and skill mix and the issues
of workforce, workload, quality services and patient safety.
My community pharmacy background has stood me in good stead giving
me a broad perspective and understanding of a whole spectrum of
practice issues. Similarly my skills and knowledge as a CPPE tutor
have enabled me to understand the support required as we roll out
the CPD agenda and the policy framework to deliver the government’s
agendas in England, Scotland and Wales of new and developing roles,
focusing on patient benefit and outcomes, while promoting professional
core values and services. Primary care must learn from the experience
of secondary care and take into account “Agenda for change” and
the results of practice research.
There are issues such as clinical governance, risk management and
the repercussions of the Shipman Inquiry on Controlled Drugs which
we must keep in our sights. Being receptive to change and listening
are key leadership skills along with teamwork and understanding
how and when to show credible, dynamic and experienced leadership.
I believe I have demonstrated these qualities throughout the past
year and I intend to continue with your support to use my drive,
commitment and integrity to carry on as your President, for a second
term, with energy and determination. |
President’s statement
The President then made a statement: “There has been a difficult
period of change that has occurred today and has been occurring over
the last few days and months. This is no time for any triumphalism or
gloating; this is no time for any self-serving and personal posturing.
None of that has any place in the events today.
“I have to pay tribute particularly to Gill, to Alison and to Linda
for their sincerity and their devotion and commitment and for the work
that
they have put in. The Society and the profession owe them a debt of gratitude.
However, there is a recognition, and there needs to be a recognition
among all of us that there is political change, that the political situation
that has occurred in the profession in the last little while has caused
these events of great upheaval, events that have been very unsettling.
I nevertheless pay great tribute to the work of that team in their attempts
to resolve this very difficult situation. But we must learn some lessons
of history. It was Abraham Lincoln who said: ‘No man is good enough
to govern another man without the other’s consent.’
“One of the things that occurred in the English Civil War some 300
years ago was because Charles I, the King, had absolute power and ruled
without
the full consent — in fact very often without very much consent — of
those who were ruled.
“The court case that we have recently and painfully been through
shows that the Society’s leadership also has absolute power, something
that I have known for quite a considerable time. One might be surprised
at the extent as a consequence of that ruling but it is indeed true.
It is all the more wise when you have absolute power to rule and to make
decisions with consent.
“The penalty of course for poor Charles I was execution. That penalty
was paid. There was a change of leadership.
“I think a very important lesson can be learnt from the words in
The Pharmaceutical Journal that future Councils will ignore calls for referendums
and discount
resolutions carried at general meetings at their peril. Those I thought
were very wise words from the editor of The Pharmaceutical Journal.
“So as here, the English Civil War resulted in something of a coup
and the rule by Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentarians came to power.
That
too applies in terms of history in this chamber. If you recall in the
English Civil War the Scots were divided as well. In Edinburgh the covenanters
threw in their lot with Parliament. You can see the covenant in St Giles
Cathedral.
“My point here is that there has been dissent in Scotland and in
Wales. We ignore the effects of devolution at our peril, and the Scots
as well
in those times of the English Civil War changed their leadership, too.
“The third lesson we can perhaps learn is that after the end of the
English Civil War Oliver Cromwell’s body was dug up, his head put
on a pike and generally paraded round.
“Vengeance and retribution is no doubt a feeling that people may
well have in this situation. It may be satisfying to wreak vengeance and
retribution
on the dead body, as it were. But on the dead body of Cromwell one has
to ask oneself: ‘What was the point?’ It adds no value to
a political situation to engage in vengeance and retribution.
“I appeal to those of you who are now seeking vengeance and retribution
to think carefully about your motives, whether they are noble and whether
they are good. ...
“A final lesson that I would bring to you is that of Charles as well,
but Charles II. That was that there was a restoration. It is quite possible
that some of those who have been deposed or defeated should not regard
this as the end but only perhaps as an interregnum. There may indeed
be a restoration. But it is an interregnum of a strong team.
“The message that I would like to get out is that that team is dedicated,
it has a commitment to the sensible reform by consent of the Society.
There will be moves towards the appropriate lay involvement and there
needs to be an end of much of our in-fighting. We need to take constructive
action on behalf of the Society to look after both the regulatory and
the membership roles.
“Professor Michell was quite right to say that we were on notice
to do just that.
“I feel I should address the membership in general. Their views will
have to be taken into account. The democracy that we have seen demands
it,
and we need to learn the lesson of history that has been so painfully
gained in these recent events.
“The membership themselves should reflect on what has happened, and
I hope that it will not be thought that the election of myself as a past
president is some old guard returning to replace the team we had in place.
We certainly wish to take the profession forward with sympathy for the
aspirations of the members but always serving the best interests of our
patients and of the wider public. We are on notice to serve all of these.
The membership has to be aware that that is our mission for all of us.
“I am also going to address the staff. The staff no doubt are very
concerned at what has happened today. They will be confused; there will
be disillusionment
with politics; cynical probably of my words. There will be changes of
policy and some changes of direction. I have to say, though, I believe
the vast majority of the work that has been done will not be lost and
is certainly not unappreciated. There will be need for adjustments and
change, but with goodwill on all sides the problems can be addressed
for the staff and for the Society in general.
“Finally, do not believe that something like this has not happened
before. If you look back 125 years you will find a similar occasion occurred
and a past president was elected after a break: George Webb Sandford
in 1879. If you read the history of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
you will find that the climate then was of disputes over regulations;
opposing sections of the Council and a clash with the Privy Council.
Do not fall into the trap of believing that this situation is unique.
“The Society, I believe, is a robust body. It has a record of serving
its membership in providing support for it through its branches; support
for the membership through publications; its science; and its history — and
what a huge asset publications are. The Society also has an exemplary
record in public service in regulating the profession and in safeguarding
the public. It is that dual role that we are attempting to keep, making
sure that it will not be lost, and it is not in the public interest that
it should be lost. I will commit, as I have done in the past, to serve
and preserve the Society.”
Sultan Dajani said that what had happened that day had been totally transparent,
clear and above board, and he wished the President all the best on behalf
of his fellow colleagues. Vice-President’s statement
The Vice-President, Mr Patel, then made the following statement: “First,
I want to pay tribute to the three officers, Gill, Alison and Linda.
They worked as a team and set an example for all. It was a difficult
year for them and they did well. I also thank the Council members for
their confidence in voting me as their Vice-President for the coming
year at a time when there is much to do and there is widespread anxiety
in the profession about the future of the Society and the profession
itself.
“Deep anxiety and confusion has replaced hope and entrepreneurship,
and I can see a lot of energy simply draining away or [being] wasted. I
believe,
President, that the Council must react quickly to stem that flow of energy
draining away and restore hope in our pharmacist colleagues by taking
action in six areas.
“But, before describing the six action points that I have identified,
I would like to say that I have read the Council governance handbook
and have noted that the Vice-President has a particular focus on monitoring
the overall effectiveness of the organisation and in particular its committees.
“And now over to the areas of priority action which I believe are
essential for the future stability and progress of our profession:
“1. Atmosphere in the Council, and the profession, of suspicion,
disfranchisement and uncertainty must be replaced by an atmosphere of candour,
inclusiveness
and understanding.
“2. Building greater awareness of the interdependence of the various
sectors within the profession to each other and our dependence on others
for
our existence and future prosperity.
“3. The Society must give a clearer message to all that says that
the Society is both a professional membership organisation and a public
interest
body and that there can be no conflict between the two. Furthermore,
we must demonstrate by action that the tradition of serving members is
not outworn and we still have valued members and not mere registrants.
And at the same time we must ensure that we are able to convince the
public and the Government that we do strive for higher standards of practice
and that we will work with them to continue improving the systems.
“4. Make the profession more entrepreneurial and give pharmacists
the joy of achievement that is lacking at the moment. If we can do that,
we will automatically introduce the thrill of creative effort that is
desperately needed at the moment in both the business and the professional
areas of pharmacy practice.
“5. Value our collective inheritance as pharmacists and bequeath
it to the next generation in a better state than we found the profession
in.
This means we acknowledge that our culture, tradition, and practice of
pharmacy needs to be reformed and will be reformed.
“6. We must help pharmacists develop a personal vision as when there
is no personal vision the people perish. This can be done by helping pharmacists
interpret and internalise the grand vision that we are rapidly continuing
to fashion here and elsewhere. This means we must have more contact with
the members, better communication and greater candour with our pharmacist
colleagues. The test for effectiveness of greater contact must be the
delivery of change at the public end and not column inches in pharmacy
press.
“President, as I said, we have much to do and we, as Council, cannot
shrink from dealing with difficult problems in our profession. We must
do all
we can to ensure that our noble profession will endure as it has endured
in the past and hopefully even prosper in a very different and more competitive
climate. I am sure that our open, honest, inclusive and energetic performance
will, in due course, be reciprocated by understanding and support of
our pharmacist colleagues and others. Hopefully this should be sufficient
to ensure that we are on the path to full recovery and are able to take
all the opportunities that are presently, and in the future, available
to us as pharmacists.
“Finally, President, I accept the role of the Vice-President and
for the trust placed in me I will return the courage, the energy and the
devotion
that befit this time.” Treasurer’s statement
The Treasurer, Mr Jolley, made the following statement: “I should
like to start by thanking all my colleagues on the Council for electing
me to the position of Treasurer. I feel particularly honoured to be elected
as an officer of this Society, being the first industrial pharmacist
elected to such a position.
“
I bring with me many years of experience of managing financially large
multi-million pound projects, and the issues that are likely to crop
up within the Society are well-known to me. However, I am not going to
achieve anything without the close co-operation of Bernard Kelly [the
Society’s Director of Finance and Resources] and his colleagues,
and I shall certainly be looking to them for a lot of help to familiarise
myself with what are the specific issues because, as the President has
already said, while we seek change, we also must have stability. Without
stability, cannot build for the future.
“I shall be concentrating on reducing the volatility in our income
stream and looking for ways in which we can be more secure in our income.
I
shall also be looking for greater clarity and accountability in reporting
our expenditure and will be talking with Bernard and his colleagues about
ways in which we might introduce new concepts for sensible spending.
“I shall be reviewing the funding arrangements for local branches
in order possibly to halt some of the extensive decline in the numbers
of local
branches which we are experiencing.
“Finally, President, I should like to accept the position of Treasurer
and will commit my efforts to the role to provide greater transparency
and accountability in the reporting of all financial matters of the Society.” Response from Council members
Linda Stone thanked the staff with whom she had served as Treasurer
for all the support and help that they had given her in that role.
She had listened carefully to what the President, Vice-President and
Treasurer had said, and wished them all well in their roles. The President
had reflected on history in his address. She trusted he was able to reflect
forward to the same extent in his work in the coming year to take the
profession forward.
What really provoked her to speak was the President’s use of the
words “vengeance” and “retribution”. They were
entirely inappropriate for use in the chamber. To even consider that
a member of Council would consider acting with vengeance and retribution
demeaned the seat in which the President sat and the chain of office
which he wore. She hoped those two words would be withdrawn.
The President said that the words he had used were in the context of
the reference to Oliver Cromwell. If they had been taken out of context,
he stood by the context in which they were used at that time.
The President said the next item was to appoint a Secretary of the Society
for the next year. The Vice-President proposed the reappointment of Ann
Lewis. The Council agreed that Miss Lewis should be reappointed.
Graham Phillips said that he wished to echo what the President had said
to Professor Schofield. The departure of a Privy Council nominee was
a great loss. He was pleased that the two remaining Privy Council nominees
had indicated their willingness to stay on the Council and was happy
to accept the challenge they had put forward. The President should write
to Professor Schofield, encouraging him to consider returning to the
fold.
Professor Michell said that, in doing so, the President should invite
Professor Schofield to do what he and Dr Entwistle had committed themselves
to do, which was to stay on the Council until August, pending progress.
Later in the proceedings, Christine Glover said that she had worked hard
for the profession, of which she was immensely proud. The day had been
one of the saddest of her life. She hoped she would be proved wrong,
and everything that had happened that day would be for the best. She
had benefited from having an incredibly strong Society behind her, a
Society that had grown in influence over the past 10 years immeasurably.
The past year had seen an outstanding team at the top table, with an
exemplary president who had given herself selflessly and had had the
ear of ministers.
Mr Wood had made many references to history, and she hoped he and his
fellow officers would now look forward. The world had changed significantly,
and they needed to understand that the membership would want to have
a strong, self-regulating profession.
She added that she found extremely offensive the suggestion that other
members of Council might use vengeance and retribution.
Mrs Glover said that the Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals
had been given extremely wide powers. It could do anything necessary
or expedient to carry out its functions. Among other things, it could
investigate and report on the performance of the Society and of its functions,
recommend changes to the way which the Society performed any of its functions
and require the Society to change its rules or make new ones if desirable
for the protection of the public. Nothing could be clearer than that.
She hoped the new Officers and the new Council would remember that as
they went forward.
The Vice-President said that Council members were aware of their responsibilities
in terms of membership as well as in terms of carrying out their duties
as a regulatory body. Nobody should misrepresent any points made by any
of the newly elected Officers. He had made clear in his own statement
the importance of avoiding conflict between the regulatory role and the
membership role.
Later still in the proceedings, Nicola Gray referred to the Treasurer’s
statement that morning and to his policy statement for election to Council,
in which he had referred to funding difficulties facing the branches.
She was not aware of any branch that had closed as result of financial
difficulties. It had always been because of difficulties in forming a
committee or disillusionment with poor attendance at meetings. Such an
unfounded statement was not fair, especially coming from the Treasurer.
However, she looked forward to working with the Treasurer in developing
extra resources for the branches.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal