Home > About the GPhC > The Council

The Council

Council members

The Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), Bob Nicholls CBE, was appointed in June 2009.

The other 13 members of the GPhC Council were appointed in September 2009. These were ’designate’ appointments and made formal when the Pharmacy Order and the General Pharmaceutical Council (Constitution) Order became law in 2010.

Chair

Bob Nicholls CBE

Bob Nicholls is the first Chair of the GPhC and its first lay member. 

He has almost 40 years' experience in the NHS, working as a senior manager and chief executive at hospital, district and regional levels. 

He was also the London Commissioner and a non-executive director of the Appointments Commission from 2005 to 2008. Bob is a fellow and former president of the Institute of Healthcare Management and was awarded the CBE for services to healthcare in 1995.

Previous appointments include:

• Chair of the National Clinical Assessment Authority from 2003 to 2005
• lay member of the General Medical Council from 1996 to 2006, including serving as Chair of the Preliminary Proceedings Committee until 2004 and as a member of the Standards and Fitness to Practise Committees
• member of the Clinical Education Committee of Oxford Medical School.

Register of interests - Bob Nicholls  [PDF opens new window, 50KB]

Council members

Names and brief biographies of Council designate members.

Mrs Cathryn Brown

Mrs Cathryn Brown is currently a Pharmacy Manager with The Co-operative Pharmacy in Longridge. She has worked with the company since 2007, and previously worked for Boots for over ten years as a Consultant Pharmacist and a Boots teacher practitioner.

Previous appointments also include a variety of posts within the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB):

• Member of the Law and Ethics Committee
• Member of the Governance Committee
• Member of the Community Pharmacists Group Committee.

Register of interests - Cathryn Brown  [PDF opens new window, 66KB]

Mrs Sarah Brown

Mrs Sarah Brown is a non-executive director with experience in the public and not-for- profit sectors.

Her current appointments include:

• Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office
• Member of the Bar Standards Board
• Member of the Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board
• Audit Committee Chair for the Parkinson's Society.

Previous public appointments include:

• Member of the Competition Commission
• Vice Chair of South West Kent NHS PCT
• Membership of the Civil Service Appeals Board
• Member of the RPSGB’s Investigating Committee and its External Review Group. 

Prior to these appointments, Sarah worked for the Department of Trade and Industry for over 30 years, in a variety of senior positions, including Director of Company Law and Head of Small Firms and Businesses.

Register of interests - Sarah Brown  [PDF opens new window, 75KB]

Professor Celia Davies

Celia Davies is Professor Emerita at The Open University. She retired from her post as Professor of Health Care in 2005.

In December 2009, she completed a term of office as Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and as Director of Research for the Patient Benefit Programme at the National Institute for Health Research. This is a programme which commissions patient-centred research across the 10 regions of the NHS in England.

Previous relevant appointments include:

• Project Officer at the UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
• Lay member of the Regulatory Board at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Non-executive Director at Milton Keynes Community Trust
• Civil Service Commissioner for Northern Ireland
• Independent panel member for DHSS Northern Ireland.

She also has a number of academic publications on regulation of health professions.

Register of interests - Celia Davies  [PDF opens new window, 63KB]

Professor Soraya Dhillon MBE

Professor Dhillon is Foundation Professor and Head of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Hertfordshire.

Her current appointments include:

• Chair of Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust
• Member of the DH Modernising Pharmacy Careers Programme Board
• Fellow of the RPSGB, which recognises her expertise in the science and practice of pharmacy.

Previous appointments include:

• Director of Taught Postgraduate Studies at the London School of Pharmacy
• Regional Specialist Pharmacist for North East Thames RHA and Whittington Hospital London.
• Vice Chair and non-executive director of Bedfordshire Health Authority
• Member of the Working Party on Professional Regulation and Leadership in pharmacy led by Lord Carter of Coles.

She received her MBE for services to healthcare in 2007 and was awarded the Charter Gold Medal for Pharmacy in 2008, in recognition of her pharmacy experience and academic achievements, both here and overseas.

Register of interests - Soraya Dhillon  [PDF opens new window, 50KB]

Mr John Flook

Mr John Flook is self-employed and has been Director of John Flook Coaching and Consultancy Ltd since 2003.

Current appointments include:

• Vice Chair, and Chair of Audit Committee, Darlington Primary Care Trust
• Non-Executive Director and Chair of Audit Committee of NHS Professionals Special Health Authority
• Health policy advisor to the NHS Confederation
• Director of Cardea Group of Consultants Ltd
• Chair of Darlington Citizens Advice Bureau
• Secondary School Governor
• Fellow (1979) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• Member of DH External Advisory Group on payment by results.

Previous appointments include:

• Advisor to the Department of Health on financial aspects of establishing a General Pharmaceutical Council
• Member of Cabinet Office Advisory Committee on NHS controls assurance
• Member of DH Working Group to develop the NHS Managers Code of Conduct.

Register of interests - John Flook  [PDF opens new window, 54KB]

Ms Christina Funnell

Ms Christina Funnell currently works as a part-time consultant as Patient Engagement Officer with Patient Opinion.

Other appointments include:

• City of York Councillor in 2007 (elected for a four-year term)
• Trustee of the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust
• Lay member of the Health Technology Development Programme Management Committee.

Previous appointments include:

• Organising Secretary for the Health Coalition Initiative
• Lay member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Chair of the NMC Fitness to Practise Investigations and Interim Order Panel
• Patient involvement consultant for the North and East Yorks and North Lincs Strategic Health Authority.

Register of interests - Tina Funnell  [PDF opens new window, 75KB]

Miss Kirstie Hepburn

Miss Kirstie Hepburn’s career in pharmacy spans over 13 years, and she is currently a Regional Director for Lloyds Pharmacy and accountable for leadership of around 325 community pharmacies.

Previous appointments include:

• Operations Manager at Lloyds Pharmacy
• Operations Manager and Area Development Manager at Alliance Pharmacy
• National Tutor for NHS Education for Scotland
• Project Manager for the Health Education Board for Scotland/Action on Smoking and Health Scotland ‘Smoking Cessation in Young People’ Pilot Project.

Register of interests - Kirstie Hepburn  [PDF opens new window, 49KB]

Mr Ray Jobling

Mr Ray Jobling is currently Fellow and College Lecturer in Sociology at St John's College, Cambridge.

Current appointments also include:

• Trustee of the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust
• Chair of Pharmacy Health Link.

Previous appointments include:

• Lay member of the council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB)
• Member of the Education Committee
• Chair of the Pre-Registration Pharmacy Liaison Group
• Member of the Academic Pharmacy Group Committee.
• Chair of the Community Pharmacy Research Consortium
• Member of the Pharmacy Workforce Planning and Policy Advisory Group.

Register of interests - Ray Jobbling  [PDF opens new window, 71KB]

Professor Elizabeth Kay

Professor Kay is currently Clinical Director, Medicines Management and Pharmacy Services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Within her role at the Trust, she is responsible for over 440 staff and a medicine expenditure budget of £70m.

Other current appointments include:

• Visiting professor of Pharmaceutical Care at the University of Leeds
• Chair of the Association of Teaching Hospital Pharmacists
• External examiner at the Medway School of Pharmacy.

Previous appointments include:

• Member of the Appointments Group
• Chair of the Hospital Pharmacists Group at the RPSGB.
• General Manager, Elective Care at Leeds General Infirmary
• Director of Clinical Pharmacy at Leeds General Infirmary
• Director of Pharmacy Training and Research at Leeds General Infirmary.

Register of interests - Liz Kay  [PDF opens new window, 50KB]

Mrs Lesley Morgan MBE

Mrs Lesley Morgan MBE is a registered Pharmacy Technician. She worked for the Welsh Centre for Pharmacy Professional Education (WCPPE) for over 15 years, and retired from the position of Director of WCPPE in April 2009.

Lesley was awarded an MBE in 1997 for her services to pharmaceutical education in Wales. In July 2009 she was awarded honorary membership of the RPSGB.

Current appointments include:

• Member of Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee
• Member of Pharmacy technician representative.

Previous appointments and awards include:

• Pharmacy Support Staff Education and Training Co-ordinator
• Assistant Director
• Winner of the RPSGB Synergy award
• Fellowship of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK
• Member of the RPSGB Support Staff Advisory Group.

Register of interests - Lesley Morgan  [PDF opens new window, 50KB]

Professor Keith Wilson

Professor Keith Wilson is currently Deputy Dean of the School of Life and Health Sciences at Aston University.

Current appointments include:

• Professor of Pharmacy at Aston University
• Fellow and member of the RPSGB
• Member of the Modernising Pharmacy Careers Board
• Joint lead for the post-regulation work stream.

Previous appointments include:

• Head of Aston School of Pharmacy
• Director of Undergraduate Programmes, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University
• Pharmacy Course Leader at Aston University
• Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy at Aston University
• Member of the British Pharmaceutical Society
• Member of the RPSGB Council.

Register of interests - Keith Wilson  [PDF opens new window, 50KB]

Dr Peter Wilson

Dr Peter Wilson retired as Head of the Education Development Division at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in October 2009 and ended a term as an External Examiner at the University of Leeds in that the same year.

Current appointments include:

• Member of the RPSGB.

Previous appointments include:

• Working as a specialist in pharmacy postgraduate education and training in the NHS
• NHS regional pharmacist
• Consultant Pharmacist
• Director of the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education at the University of Manchester
• Referee for the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
• Editor of Supplementary Prescribing in Practice.

Register of interests - Peter Wilson  [PDF opens new window, 49KB]

Mrs Judith Worthington

Mrs Judith Worthington recently left her position as a Magistrate and Court Chair of the Melton and Rutland Bench where she has been since 1991. Her background is in education and training.

Current public appointments include:

• Non-executive director at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
• Chair of the Governance and Risk Committee at the University Hospitals of Leicester
• Member of the General Chiropractic Council
• Member of the Taxation Disciplinary Board investigation committee
• Member of the Bar Standards Board complaints committee
• Chair of the General Medical Council fitness to practise panels
• Member of the appointments board at the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Former appointments include:

• Deputy Chair of the Investigating Committee of the RPSGB.
• Member of the Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Committee.

Register of interests - Judith Worthington  [PDF opens new window, 68KB]

Chief Executive register of interests

The following is the register of interests for Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive and Registrar.

Register of interests - Duncan Rudkin  [PDF opens new window, 50KB]

Gifts and hospitality register

The following is a summary of all gifts and hospitality received by Council members.

Gifts and hospitality register July 2010  [PDF opens new window, 49KB]