RPS Wales elects new board chair

Suzanne Scott-Thomas has been appointed as the new chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) Welsh Pharmacy Board.

Scott-Thomas, a chief pharmacist and medicine management lead for Merthyr and Cynon localities at Cwm Taf Local Health Board, was elected to the position of chair at the Welsh board’s meeting on 15 October 2015. She takes over from Mair Davies who recently stepped down to become the Society’s director for Wales.

“I am delighted and very proud to be elected as chair of the RPS Welsh Board,” says Scott-Thomas. “I would like to thank Mair for her excellent chairmanship of the board for the past five years and to congratulate her on her appointment as director of RPS Wales — I have very big shoes to fill!”

Scott-Thomas says her vision is of an “integrated pharmacy profession providing joined up, excellent pharmaceutical care to patients wherever they may be and wherever medicines are used”.

“It is a very exciting time for the pharmacy profession in Wales and there are many opportunities for us to embrace and progress,” she says. “The RPS Welsh Board is made up of a fantastic team of pharmacists from a range of sectors and I feel we are in a good position to make the most of all the emerging opportunities.”

Paul Harris, currently the Welsh Pharmacy Board’s representative on the RPS Assembly, was also appointed to the position of vice-chair at the meeting.

“As an experienced community pharmacist, he complements my knowledge and experience from the managed and hospital sectors of pharmacy,” says Scott-Thomas. “I would like to congratulate Paul on his election and I know that, together with Mair, we will relish leading ‘Team Wales’ to bigger and better achievements.”