Chair, Deputy Chair & Members

Statutory Committees – Chairs, Deputy Chairs and Members, and Legal Advisers

Location: Canary Wharf, London

Are you looking to broaden your experience? We have a number of opportunities for pharmacists and for lay people to play a key part in the regulation of pharmacy professionals by becoming a member or chair of the committees that decide on complaints against registrants and pharmacy premises. We also have opportunities for practising legal professionals to advise those committees.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is the regulator for pharmacy professionals and registered pharmacies in the UK.  It is our job to protect, promote and maintain the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public by upholding standards and public trust in pharmacy.

As part of our regulatory function to uphold standards, there are three independent statutory committees which decide on complaints against registrants and pharmacy premises. We are looking to fill a number of roles on two of those committees: our fitness to practise committee and our investigating committee:

Investigating committee

This committee considers cases where a registrant’s fitness to practise is in question.  It decides whether to refer them to the fitness to practise committee for a full inquiry, or if a further investigations should be carried out. It meets in private and does not hear oral evidence.

Fitness to practise committee

This committee hears cases where a registrant’s fitness to practise is in question, considers allegations and takes decisions. If it determines that the fitness to practise of a registrant is impaired, it can issue sanctions or advice, or it can suspend or remove a person from the register.

The roles available are outlined below. Please note we have a number of full membership positions available, as well as several positions on the reserve list for each role. We’re looking for pharmacists to join our committees, as well as lay people, and we are also looking for legal advisers to the committees.

Chair / Deputy Chair

As one of the chairs or deputy chairs you will chair meetings to reach a decision, ensure appropriate procedures are followed, and provide reasons for decisions. You will also assist in developing committee members.

You will have experience of chairing meetings, evaluating evidence and summarising agreements to support a decision. You will meet the essential criteria and competences detailed in the job description. As chair you will have additional duties, including reviewing determinations for consistency. You may be a practising legal professional, but this is not an essential criterion as long as you meet the essential criteria and competences.

Pharmacist committee members

Pharmacist members must have recent experience of pharmacy practice, and be on the GPhC register. You must meet the essential criteria and competences in the job description.

Lay committee members

Lay members must never have been entered in the register of any health or social care regulatory body; nor may they hold a qualification which would enable them to apply for entry to the GPhC’s register.  You must meet the essential criteria and competences detailed in the job description.

Legal advisers

Legal advisers are practising legal professionals who ensure that proceedings before the statutory committee are conducted fairly. They advise, if required, on points of law, and intervene with advice where it appears that an error of law or irregular proceeding may be made. They also, if required by the chair, advise the committee on the structure, format and presentation of the reasons for a decision of that committee.

For all of the above roles you will need to demonstrate an appreciation of, and commitment to, protecting, promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public.

The members of the statutory committees are appointed by an independent appointments committee. Relevant training will be provided for all the roles.

We are proud of being an employer that values the diversity of its workforce and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds and sections of the community to apply.

More information

Please click apply to read the role specifications, including the time commitments and remuneration, and information on how to apply.

If you would like to learn more about the committee chair or member roles, join us at our Open Evening at our Canary Wharf offices on Tuesday 6 February at 5:45pm. 

Please note that pre-registration is necessary by 1pm on Thursday 1st February - see online for further details.

If you would like to have an informal discussion about any of the roles, please contact Elaine Mulingani, Associates and Partners Manager on 0203 713 7817.

The closing date for applications is 25 February 2018.

Interviews will take place as follows:

• Chairs/deputy chairs – week commencing 23 April 2018
• Lay members: week commencing 30 April 2018
• Pharmacists: week commencing 7 May 2018