P R E S S     R E L E A S E

21st June 2004

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) - Elections

Following the June meeting of the full Council of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP) it was agreed that a formal statement be issued to outline concerns arising from the election success of the Save Our Society (SOS) campaign. The position of GHP with respect to the proposed new Charter, currently with the Privy Council, is also restated.

While GHP fully accepts and respects the democracy of the ballot box the following concerns were expressed:

• The constitution of the current RPSGB Council is not representative of the profession as a whole. In particular there is now a significant under-representation of the managed sector.
• The election of all seven SOS candidates, standing on a ‘single issue ticket’, raises serious doubts as to whether the ‘first past the post’ approach to elections to the RPSGB Council is sustainable for the future.
• The total vote cast for the SOS candidates, while a majority of those who voted, is still a significant minority of the membership.

In addition, there were reservations that all the three key Officers, President, Vice-President and Treasurer, from the previous RPSGB Council were replaced. GHP Council also wished to make known that the loss of Dr Gillian Hawksworth as President was of particular regret. Gillian had made significant efforts to engage with all sections within the profession and her enthusiasm for practice made her an ideal ambassador for pharmacy and would have justified a second term as President. The loss of Alison Ewing from the position of Vice President furthered concerns over how pharmacists working within the managed sector are now viewed by the new RPSGB Council. It is hoped that these fears are unfounded and that GHP can continue to develop a close working relationship with the new RPSGB Council and the staff at the Lambeth headquarters.

With respect to the Charter proposals, GHP Council was relieved to see the Society and the 16 individual Council members fully vindicated in the High Court and regrets that fellow members of RPSGB felt it necessary to take this approach. GHP Council does not see any need, at this time, to change our position of giving general support to the proposed new Charter that is now with the Privy Council.

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