1. NAME

The name of the Section shall be "The Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists".

2. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Guild Section shall be:

i) To improve the economic and social well-being of the members, to enhance their status and to watch over, promote and protect their interests.

ii) To promote by all possible means the contribution of healthcare pharmacists to the development of pharmaceutical services.

iii) To contribute to the development of pharmaceutical education both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

iv) To contribute to discussions on health care issues of the day.

v) To develop working relationships with other pharmaceutical organisations.

vi) To promote the objectives of Amicus and to undertake any activity authorised by

Guild Council in pursuance of the interests of the membership.

3. QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP

Full membership of the Guild Section shall be open to:

i) members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB);

ii) members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI);

iii) pharmacists holding reciprocal qualifications recognised by the RPSGB or PSNI;

iv) pharmacists deemed by Guild Council to have equivalent qualifications;

v) pre-registration pharmacy graduates;

who in any of the above categories hold appointments with UK Health Authorities, Health Boards, NHS Trusts, Primary Care Groups/Trusts, or similar institutions (including non-public sector and those of Her Majesty's Forces).

Other classes of membership of the Guild Section shall be open to persons holding the qualifications necessary to fulfil the eligibility criteria set out in Rule 4.

4. CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP

i) Full Members

Full Members shall be pharmacists employed by a UK Health Authority, Health Board, NHS Trust, Primary Care Group/Trust, or similar institution; or

pre-registration pharmacy graduates undergoing a period of practical training in accordance with the regulations of the RPSGB or PSNI at a hospital, health centre, or similar institution.

ii) Retired Members

Retired Members shall be members aged 50 or over and with not less than five years consecutive full membership of the Guild Section who on retiring from permanent NHS employment wish to continue in membership as retired members.

iii) Affiliate Members (Guild Section)

Affiliate members shall be former members who no longer hold a permanent appointment at a hospital or similar institution.

iv) International Members (Guild Section)

International members shall be pharmacists employed in a hospital, health centre or similar institution outside Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

v) Student Members

Student members shall be undergraduate pharmaceutical students in the UK.

vi) Honorary Members (Guild Section)

Honorary Members shall be those persons so designated from time to time by Guild Council, using criteria agreed by the Council for such purpose and in accordance with Rule 12.

5. MEMBERSHIP ENTITLEMENTS

i) Full Members

Full members shall be entitled to hold office at all levels of the Guild. They may attend all meetings of the Guild, and shall have voting rights in such

meetings, in elections to the Council and in postal ballots.

ii) Retired Members, Affiliate Members and Student Members

Retired Members, Affiliate Members and Student Members shall not be entitled to hold any office above Guild Group level. They may attend all

meetings of the Guild, and shall have voting rights in such meetings and in postal ballots subject in both cases to Rule 34, and in elections to the

Council.

iii) International Members

International Members shall not be entitled to hold any Guild office. They may attend all meetings of the Guild, but shall not have voting rights in such

meetings, in elections to the Council or in postal ballots.

iv) Honorary Members

Honorary Members shall not be entitled to hold any office above Guild Group level. They may attend all meetings of the Guild, and shall have voting rights in such meetings, but shall not have voting rights in elections to Council or in postal ballots.

6. MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

i) Full Members

Full members shall be eligible for the full range of Union and GHP benefits and representation.

ii) Retired Members, Affiliate Members, Student Members, International Members and Honorary Members

Retired Members, Affiliate Members, Student Members, International Members and Honorary Members shall not be eligible for Union benefits and

representation.

7. The business of the Guild shall be conducted by a Council which shall consist of Members elected in accordance with Rules 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20. The Council shall meet not less than three times a year, twelve members forming a quorum.

8. Application for membership shall be made on a form approved by the Amicus National Executive Committee (NEC) after recommendation by the Guild Council and shall be submitted to the General Secretary of the Guild Section accompanied by the first subscription. (Applications for Affiliate or International membership shall be considered by the Guild Council at the meeting following the submission of the application).

9. Upon acceptance into membership of the Union, every member shall be supplied with, free of charge:

i) A membership card

ii) A letter of acceptance into membership

iii) A current rule book

The letter of acceptance shall include the allocation of the member to one of the Section's membership groups, on the basis of the member's registered address and/or place of employment. The member shall have the right to belong to an alternative group if he/she so wishes, by writing to the Section General Secretary.

10. Subscription of all members shall be payable by deduction from salary ("check-off"), by annual subscription or by direct debit. Annual subscriptions are due on the first day of January.

11. Rates of Subscription

The rates of subscription for Full Members, Retired Members and Student Members shall be in accordance with the current Rules of Amicus as from time to time determined by the Amicus Annual Conference. The rates of subscription for Affiliate Members (Guild Section) and International Members (Guild Section) shall be approved by the Amicus NEC following recommendations of the Guild Council.

Honorary Members shall be exempt from subscriptions.

12. The Council shall have power to elect to Honorary Membership such persons as it deems expedient, using criteria agreed by the Council for such purpose. There shall not be more than fifty Honorary Members at any one time. Nominations for Honorary Membership, which should include full curricula vitae, shall be received by Council at one meeting and voted upon at the next following meeting.

13. The Council shall have the power to elect to Honorary Vice-Presidency such persons as it deems expedient, using criteria agreed by the Council for such purpose. There shall not be more than four Honorary Vice-Presidents at any one time. Honorary Vice-Presidents shall not be entitled to hold any office above Guild Group level. They may attend all meetings of the Guild and shall have voting rights in such meetings, but shall not have voting rights in elections to Council or in postal ballots. Nominations for Honorary Vice-Presidency, which should include full curricula vitae, shall be received by Council at one meeting and voted upon at the next following meeting.

14. The Council shall be empowered to recommend to the Amicus NEC the removal from the lists of members the names of:

i) Any person paying annually whose subscription is not paid by 31st March; or, any person whose monthly contribution is more than three months in arrears.

ii) Any person whose conduct is considered by the Council to be prejudicial to the Guild or its objectives. Any such person shall be permitted to be heard at a meeting of the Council before such action is taken.

15. Twelve members of the Council shall be District Members, each representing one of the Districts defined in the Appendix to these Rules and being a member of a Guild Group within that District. Ten members of the Council shall be National Members. The term of office of all members of Council shall be two years. One half of the whole number of both District Members and National Members, being in each category those who have been members for the longest time without re-election, shall retire each year at the time of the Annual General Meeting, and their places taken by newly elected members, who shall take office on that day. Members of Council retiring at the end of their two year term shall be eligible for re-election.

16. The Council shall have power to co-opt not more than three additional members who shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.

17. Any member may nominate any other full member for election as National Member of Council. Any member of a Guild Group in a particular District may nominate any other full member of a Guild Group in the same District for election as District Member of Council. No member may accept nomination for election as National and District member at one and the same time. Nomination forms shall be distributed to Group Secretaries and current members of Guild Council not less than 56 days before the date of declaration of the election result. Nominations, either on the prescribed form or otherwise in writing and signed by one or more nominators, much reach the General Secretary of the Guild Section not less than 42 days before the date of declaration of the election result. In either case the nomination must be accompanied by a statement signed by the nominee expressing willingness to serve if elected.

18. Ballot papers for election of National and District Members of Council shall be issued to each member entitled to vote in the election not less than 21 days before the date of declaration of the election results. If the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of seats which fall vacant at the end of the two-year term, there shall be no ballot, and the candidate(s) shall be declared elected. If the number of candidates is greater than the number of seats which fall vacant at the end of the two-year term, a ballot of members entitled to vote shall be held. All eligible members may vote for candidates nominated for election as National Members of Council. In addition members of Guild Groups in a particular District may vote for candidates nominated for election as District Member of Council for that District. Ballot papers must be returned to an independent scrutineer in a sealed envelope bearing the member's signature and the name of his Group not later than 3 days before the date of declaration of the election result. The independent scrutineer shall be responsible for determining the votes cast. The ballot shall be conducted by the procedure known as the single transferable vote.

19. The Council at its meeting next following the Annual General Meeting shall elect from its members a President, Vice-President, Editor, Chairmen of the Education & Science Committee, Practice Committee, and Organisation, Terms & Conditions Committee, together with such other Officers as it deems necessary. These Officers shall hold office for one year and shall be eligible for re-election. In the event of an Officer resigning or being unable for any cause to continue in office the Council may immediately appoint from its own members an Officer to fill the vacancy. The Council may at any time remove from office an Officer by resolution of the majority of members of the Council present and voting at a meeting of the Council.

20. Any casual vacancy occurring in the Council may be filled by a Council decision to co-opt. If the vacancy occurs during the first year of the two-year term of office, the remaining part of that year may be filled by a co-option until the next Annual General Meeting. At the next Council meeting following the AGM, the second year of the two-year term of office may then be filled by a co-option of:

i) the previously co-opted member, or

ii) the candidate in the most recent election process who was unsuccessful but received the next highest number of votes, or

iii) another member.

In any of the three cases the co-opted member shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. If the vacancy occurs during the second year of the two-year term of office, the remaining part of that year may be filled by a co-option of :

i) the candidate in the most recent election process who was unsuccessful but received the next highest number of votes, or

ii) another member.

In either case the co-opted member shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.

21. Any member who is absent from three consecutive meetings of the Council, without furnishing an explanation satisfactory to the Council, shall be deemed to have resigned his membership thereof.

22. The Council shall appoint from its members an Executive Committee which shall be empowered to act at any time on behalf of the Council.

23. The Council may from time to time appoint such other Committees as it deems desirable and shall have power to modify or dissolve any Committee. The Council may appoint such persons as it deems desirable to serve on any Committee (except as provided in Rule 22).

24. Members of Council and Committees of Council shall receive from funds reimbursement of expenses necessarily incurred in attending meetings, as from time to time approved by the Amicus NEC.

25. The Annual General Meeting shall be held during either March or April each year or at such a date as the Council may direct. A notice, accompanied by a statement of the business to be transacted, shall be sent to each member not less than fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting, at which forty members shall form a quorum. The business to be transacted shall be as follows:

i) Presentation of annual reports of the Officers.

ii) Normally, declaration of the results of the Council elections.

iii) Discussion of and voting upon motions submitted by the Council.

iv) Discussion of and voting upon other motions or business which may have been notified, in writing to the General Secretary of the Guild Section, not less than twenty-eight days before the date of the meeting.

26. A Special General Meeting shall be convened at the request of the President, or of the Council, or at least forty members. A notice, accompanied by a statement of the business to be transacted, shall be sent to each member not less than fourteen days before the date of the Special General Meeting, at which forty members shall form a quorum.

27. At any time before dissolution or adjournment of a General Meeting, any forty members may, in writing, demand a postal ballot on any motion on the agenda of the meeting. Such postal ballots shall be conducted as prescribed, in Rule 32, and the result, as determined by the Council, shall be deemed to be the decisions of the meeting at which the postal ballot was demanded.

28. A Guild Section Group Delegates' Meeting shall be held annually. The precise date of this meeting shall be notified to Group Secretaries and the Guild Council members at least six months prior to the meeting. The meeting shall be conducted as prescribed in standing orders. The business to be transacted shall be:

i) Reception of a report from Guild Council upon action taken on resolutions carried or motions referred to Council at the previous Group Delegates' Meeting.

ii) Reception of any other reports from Guild Council.

iii) Discussion of business submitted by Guild Council.

iv) Discussion of and voting upon motions submitted by Guild Groups.

29. Any resolution carried at a Guild Section Group Delegates' Meeting shall be acted upon by the Council and a report made by the Council to the Group Delegates' Meeting of the following year. If the resolution involves a change of rule, such changes must be discussed and agreed at the following Annual General Meeting.

30. Special Group Delegates' Meetings may be called at any time at the discretion of the Council.

31. Members of the Guild may attend the Group Delegates' Meeting as visitors by permission of the Council. Applications must be submitted to the General Secretary of the Guild Section in writing fourteen days before the date of the Group Delegates' Meeting.

32. Postal ballots of the membership shall normally be conducted in the following manner:

i) Written details of a ballot shall be received by Group Secretaries not less than 30 days before the closing date of the ballot.

ii) Ballot forms shall be issued to each member entitled to vote in the election not less than 21 days before the closing date of the ballot.

33. Groups shall be formed only with the authority of the Council and shall beconducted in accordance with the Rules approved by the Council. The minimum number of members required for the formation and continuance of a Group shall be TEN.

34. Only full members are entitled to vote in ballots relating to terms and conditions issues.

35. The Council shall prescribe Standing Orders for regulating procedure at meetings of the Guild, its Council and Committees, and for defining the duties of its Officers, and may from time to time modify or suspend such Standing Orders.

36. All members, including honorary members and honorary vice-presidents, shall receive Guild News.

37. There shall be no smoking at national meetings of the Guild.

38. No alteration of the Constitution or Rules shall be made except at a General Meeting, due notice of the proposed alteration having been given. Any such alteration shall not become operative until three months after the date of the meeting at which the alteration was approved, subject to acceptance by the Amicus NEC.

AGM 2000

APPENDIX TO RULES & CONSTITUTION

1. Wales - South Wales; North Wales

2. Northern - Border

3. Mercia - Thames Valley; West Midlands

4. Scotland East - Edinburgh & S E Scotland; North of Scotland

5. London South - Kent; London; Sussex; Surrey

6. South West / Wessex - Bristol; Wessex; West Country

7. London North - Essex; London

8. Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland

9. Scotland West - Glasgow & West of Scotland

10. East of England - East Anglia; East Midlands

11. Yorkshire - South Yorkshire; Yorkshire

12. North West / Mersey - Liverpool; Manchester

AGM 2000