GHP National Professional Committee – Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists

Nathan Burley

President

I work in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in two roles as a pharmacist in public health protection and within sexual health services. I understand the pressures and workforce issues that frontline staff face after much experience as a hospital pharmacist. I have the pleasure of chairing the GHP Executive Committee – the decision makers in regards to GHP policy, output, and focus. I regularly represent the work and voice of GHP at UK and European level and can always be contacted on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/NathanBurley4 or via president@ghp.org.uk

Rob Connah

President-Elect

I’m a specialist pharmacist in liaison psychiatry, working across Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in North Wales. After completing a postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy, I went on to become an independent prescriber and have since established this novel role in Wales’ largest Health Board.

Pharmacists work in a highly dynamic profession and as regional member for Wales, I have already built a network to support tackling the challenges and pressures we face daily.

If any members within this region are interested in supporting the Guild by participating in this network or to get in touch generally, please contact president@ghp.org.uk

Diolch yn fawr

Colin Rodden

Professional Secretary

For 28 years (until I retired from the NHS) I was the Regional Member and National Secretary for Scotland. I now work on the National Organising Professional Committee (NOPC) of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists in a role supporting the Executive and the work of the Committee. Prior to retiring in 2021, I was a senior clinical trials pharmacist in Glasgow. In my clinical role, I worked on a vascular surgery ward and, previously, care of the elderly and ophthalmology.

Graeme Richardson

Chair – Subgroups

I am the Chief Pharmacist at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and the Chair of GHP Subgroups, forming the liaison between PDIG and QATS and Guild Council. I have had tenure as President and Immediate Past President.

Mahendra Patel

Chair – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

I am pharmacist academic of national and international profile with roles in the UK, Malaysia and USA. I served the RPS as national board member and Treasurer. I am also a member of UNESCO’s Teaching Faculty and Patron of Commonwealth Pharmacy Association. My work includes improving health, health inequalities in disadvantaged communities. I am the national lead for University of one of Oxford’s Covid-19 clinical trials. I have received national and international awards including OBE in 2022.

Min Na Eii

Chair – Sustainability

I am currently working full-time as an Advanced Pharmacist Practitioner (Acute Medicine) at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. I also work as a bank Urgent Care NHS 111 Pharmacist at North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. I am the co-founder of an environmentally conscious pharmacy group Pharmacy Declares and have completed MSc in Environment & Human Health at University of Exeter. I co-chair the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists’ (EAHP) Sustainability working group and worked as the Chief Sustainability Officer’s Clinical Fellow 2023/24.

Hazel Kirwin

Co-Chair – Terms and Conditions

I am the Chair of Regional Members and Regional North East and Yorkshire Member of the guild council, representing any issues occurring in the region. I am an Advanced Clinical Pharmacist in Medication Safety and Diabetes at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I am a keen activist within Unite the Union and the Labour party, and I am chair of Whitley Bay Labour, the largest branch in the constituency. I am the GHP representative on the national Inclusive Pharmacy Practice Best Practice and Engagement Group. I have built a strong local network which I use proactively to identify any areas where my support will be required.

Laura Buckley

Chair – Primary Care

I am a Primary Care Network Pharmacist in the East Riding of Yorkshire with a passion for patient-centred care. In addition to my role as regional ambassador for the Primary Care Pharmacy Association, I am also very active on social media, blogging and sharing the work and challenges that pharmacists face. I’m delighted to be the Lead for Primary Care for GHP and hope to represent accurately the voice of pharmacists in primary care. I am usually found on Twitter and I am keen to hear your views.

Martin Pratt

Recruitment Officer

My role of GHP executive is as the Recruitment Officer. I develop strategies to increase membership to GHP and also work with Unite the Union to establish strategies to increase membership and provide member benefits. I monitor membership trends and gaps. I also attend Pharmacy conferences where necessary and ensure that supplies of GHP merchandise are created and available in order to raise the GHP profile. My day job is that of Chief Pharmacist at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a large 900+ bedded acute trust which includes Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals. I don’t think there is an aspect of hospital pharmacy that we don’t provide, we have aseptic services through to radiopharmacy, and everything in between. Always a challenge, always different, that’s what makes it a great job.

Amandeep Doll

Vice-Chair – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Miss Amandeep Doll is our second Vice Chair of EDI on the GHP NOPC. Aman works in two roles; she is the Head of Professional Belonging at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and she also works as a specialist clinical pharmacist in Medical Admissions at Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham. Aman has already demonstrated her commitment to EDI in her role at RPS, and she hopes to bring some of her experience to her work for our members in GHP.

Ojali Yusuff

Vice-Chair – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

I work as a Primary Care Network and Integrated Urgent Care pharmacist in the East Midlands. I am also Independent Prescriber and currently a Health Education England Population Health Fellow. Prior to these roles, I worked in the secondary care setting as a specialist HIV and sexual health pharmacist.

I believe that representative leadership is one which is as diverse as the people it serves and I am passionate about seeing inclusive, diverse and effective leadership structures serving our profession!

Roisίn O’Hare

Education and Training Support

I have been a clinical pharmacist and educator working in a hospital environment for over 20 years. As one of the first independent prescribers in NI, I established pharmacist-led clinics to managing CVD and now lead the NI Universities Teacher Practitioner Pharmacist Team, across hospital Trusts and Schools of Pharmacy. I’ve proudly served as President of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists from 2019 to 2022 and represented GHP members in diverse workstreams as Inclusion and Diversity, Sustainability, Bullying and the Review of Initial Education and Training.

Siobhan Dobie

Vice Chair – Education and Training

Having previously been an Early Careers Representative for the GHP, I am delighted to build upon my work now as I take on the role of Vice Chair of Education and Training for the GHP. I work as a medical pharmacist in hospital within NHS Lanarkshire, having recently achieved my Independent Prescribing. With the rapidly evolving role of the pharmacist and training restructuring, we need to ensure we support the development of newly qualified pharmacists and ensure the workforce are also able to achieve this. Beginning the advanced pharmacist RPS portfolio and having recently completed the RPS post-registration foundation credentialling and Independent Prescribing qualification, I am familiar with current training programmes. Consequently, I can offer my perspective as a trainee, along with channelling the views of my peers and the challenges unique to those in formal, and non-formal, training.

Desmond Gourley

Member for Northern Ireland

My role on Guild Council is to represent the GHP members who work in N Ireland. I attend regular meetings of the national Guild Council and facilitate local meetings between Guild reps and activists in N Ireland. I communicate to members on national and regional GHP issues and organise networking, educational and collaborative events. I also respond to consultations and meet with key stakeholders in the profession on behalf of GHP members

Seema Varma

Regional Member for London & Eastern

My name is Seema Varma and I’m the London & Eastern representative for the GHP. I have worked across most sectors of pharmacy, apart from industry. This gives me an appreciation of the challenges faced by pharmacists in each sector. I currently work as a PCN Pharmacist and am part of a small sub-group looking after the interests of Pharmacists in primary care. I also have an interest in EDI and have responded to consultations on this on behalf of our members and GHP. Pharmacists are at the frontline of healthcare, and were moreso during the recent pandemic. I’m also passionate about the mental wellbeing of my fellow colleagues in the daily challenges they face.

Jono Dewhurst

Regional Member for East Midlands

Since qualifying last millennium, I have worked throughout community and a broad range of acute specialities at different organisations. I am currently a medicines information specialist, an independent prescriber, and I have a special interest in palliative and end of life care. I live in Nottingham and work at Sherwood Forest Hospitals in Nottinghamshire where I am also a Unite the Union workplace rep

I care deeply about my colleagues and my profession. It is my pleasure to work with the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists – the pharmacy organisation that openly and explicitly represents the best interests of individual members in all pharmacy sectors and specialities.

Robert Fitzgerald

Early Careers

I am a 2nd year Foundation Pharmacist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust gaining experience in multiple specialities and services. I am currently studying for my post graduate diploma at Leeds University and will soon be starting my independent prescribing qualification as part of this. I am the Co-Chair of my Trust’s LGBTQ+ staff network and sit on the Early Career Pharmacist Advisory Board with the RPS.