I was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden and untimely death of my friend and colleague, Joy Wingfield, whom I had known for many years. Others will write about her roles as an academic, as an author, and as founder of the Pharmacy Law and Ethics Association, but I would like to pay tribute to her in two less well known roles, in which I had the pleasure of working with her.
Joy became a Founder Member of the College of Pharmacy Practice when it was established by the Pharmaceutical Society in 1981, and she remained a strong supporter for more than 30 years. She was in the first cohort of members to complete the assessment for Fellowship when this was instituted by the College some 15 years later. When I was appointed Chief Executive of the College in 2001, Joy was already a Governor, and was elected as vice chair in 2007, serving in this position until the College was dissolved in 2014. She also chaired the assessment committee which reviewed practice assessments and decided on the award of memberships and Fellowships. In all of these roles, her friendly and down-to-earth approach, together with her encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and ethics of pharmacy practice, gained her the respect of candidates, her fellow Governors, and the College staff, with whom she always had time to have a friendly word. In recognition of her outstanding service to the College, she was designated an Honorary Fellow in 2010, and her certificate was presented to her at the last AGM of the College, by her friend, Marion Hodges, who had been the first Hon Secretary of the College.
When the Royal Pharmaceutical Society established the Membership Committee in 2011, Joy and I were pleased to be appointed as members, and we served together until 2015. The main role of the Committee was to review the cases of RPS members and Fellows who had been the subject of sanctions by the General Pharmaceutical Council, and to decide whether or not they should remain in membership of the Society. Again, Joy’s knowledge of law and ethics, and her great sense of fairness, were invaluable, and I was very glad of her sound advice on many occasions. The serious content of our meetings was frequently enlivened by Joy’s infectious sense of humour.
Joy was one of the great pharmacists of our generation, but she was modest about her achievements. To me, and many others, she was a valued colleague and a good friend, and we mourn her passing.
Ian G Simpson