The PDA has announced today the appointment of Claire Ward as its new Director of Public Affairs. Claire will lead the development of relationships across Westminster and the devolved nations on behalf of the PDA as part of an increased commitment to taking the issues facing the 26,000 PDA members to the door of policy makers.
The new appointment will also help the PDA to develop its broader contacts across the pharmacy sector, building on Claire’s previous experience as Chief Executive of the IPF and more recently as Chair of Pharmacy Voice.
In announcing the appointment, PDA Chairman Mark Koziol said;
“Pharmacy could do so much more to support the needs of patients and the NHS, but recently, the decision makers in government have been provided with a very underwhelming brief of what we can deliver. Like most pharmacists, we are very passionate about what pharmacy can do, and it is time that we strengthened our direct lines of representation and dialogue with Westminster. We will seek to provide a much more realistic and positive appraisal of the possibilities that pharmacy offers. Claire is a very accomplished, well connected and experienced pro-pharmacy campaigner. She will be a formidable addition to our team and we are delighted that she has agreed to take charge of our Parliamentary relationships and beyond.”
Claire Ward said;
“I have always believed that pharmacists could offer so much more to patients and at a time when the NHS needs to think differently, its essential that individual pharmacists’ skills and contributions are recognised, protected and rewarded. I am delighted to have the opportunity to bring my knowledge from across the pharmacy sector and politics to support the PDA and to champion the profession. The ongoing cuts are having a direct impact on employees and locums and we need politicians and policy makers to understand that this is not the way to deliver safe and effective care to patients.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) is a not for profit organisation and trade union which aims to act upon and support the needs of individual pharmacists and, when necessary, to defend their reputation. It currently has more than 26,000 members.
The primary aims of the PDA are to:
- Support pharmacists in their legal, practice and employment needs.
- Represent the individual or collective concerns of pharmacists in the most appropriate manner.
- Proactively seek to influence the professional, practice and employment agenda to support members.
- Lead and support initiatives designed to improve the knowledge and skills of pharmacists in managing risk and safe practices, so improving patient care.
- Work with like-minded organisations to further improve the membership benefits to individual pharmacists.
- Provide insurance cover to safeguard and defend the reputation of the individual pharmacist.