Community Pharmacy England invites non-CCA multiples to join its Committee
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Owners of 10 or more pharmacies are being invited to become observers to the Community Pharmacy England Committee, as an interim measure while the Committee begins work on permanent changes.
Community Pharmacy England has written to all community pharmacy owners with 10 or more pharmacy premises in England (the non-CCA multiple category) to offer them the opportunity to express interest in one of two observer places on its Committee.
Since the last elections to the Committee in 2023, there has been a significant change in sector ownership. Ownership data has confirmed that there remains a 50:50 split between independents and multiples in the sector, however the multiple half has rebalanced from Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) member multiples to other multiples with more than 10 pharmacies.
The newly formed Governance and People Subcommittee considered these composition issues and – at the September 2024 Committee meeting – the full Committee accepted proposals to start work to address this situation. This work is now underway, but will require consultation with LPCs and trade bodies, so in the meantime, two observers from the non-CCA multiple category are being introduced as an immediate interim measure while permanent changes are considered.
In addition to the current three non-CCA multiple members on the Community Pharmacy England Committee, the observer places will enable more non-CCA multiples to contribute fully to committee and subcommittee discussions, informing decision-making. Appointees will take up the role from 18th November 2024 most likely for a minimum of a year, dependent on the outcome of deliberations on committee structure, constitutional change and associated issues.
As the national negotiator for community pharmacy, Community Pharmacy England recognises the importance of having the input of skills and knowledge from the full range of pharmacy owners to better understand and work within the best interests of the sector as a whole.
Applications
Expressions of interest are welcomed from pharmacists who either own more than 9 pharmacy businesses in England or are employed by such an owner. Applicants will also need to demonstrate they can meet the role, responsibilities and person specification of being a committee member and agree to adhere to our Code of Conduct, Governance Framework and confidentiality protocols.
Please complete the form below by Friday 25th October 2024 to apply. As part of the process, you will be required to provide a supporting statement of up to 500 words.
Committee Observer Place Expression of Interest
Full details can be found in the invitation letter
Community Pharmacy England Chief Executive Janet Morrison said:
“Following an in-depth review of recent changes in sector ownership, we have launched a process to introduce changes to our Committee of sector representatives.
The Committee is keen to move forward as quickly as possible, but constitutional change requires careful consideration of all the associated issues by a host of stakeholders. So, to speed up the rebalancing towards non-CCA multiples, we have established two temporary observer places and are seeking expressions of interest for them.
Our success depends on the contributions of vibrant, engaged, committed leaders from all parts of the sector and I encourage eligible pharmacy owners to use this opportunity. Joining is a significant time commitment, but anyone who does take this on would be rewarded with a real opportunity to share your valuable contributions and feed directly into the Committee’s deliberations and decision-making.”
