General Pharmaceutical Council
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has appointed six new members to its governing council.
A statement published on 15 May 2026 said: “Anita Charlesworth will begin her term immediately as a lay member. Sheila Kumar, Christopher Langley, Liz Fidler, Ben Hannan and Claire Dearden will begin their terms on 1 April [2027].”
Charlesworth is a health economist, co-chair of the NHS Productivity Commission for the Health Foundation and a non-executive director of West North London Integrated Care Board (ICB), while Kumar — also a lay member — is independent non-executive director on the board of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and senior independent director and chair of its remuneration and people committee.
Langley is an academic pharmacist and professor of pharmacy law and practice at Aston University, while Hannan is a registered pharmacist and director of service transformation, planning and performance at NHS Lanarkshire.
The regulator also noted that Fidler is senior professional advisor for pharmacy technician practice within the chief pharmaceutical officer’s office at NHS England, while Dearden is a pharmacy technician, who is medicines optimisation governance and service improvement lead at Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB.
The members comprise a range of backgrounds, which include pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, according to the statement. It continued that all council members are appointed by the Privy Council.
“[The council] is responsible for setting the organisation’s strategic direction, ensuring it operates effectively and efficiently, and upholding its statutory role to protect, promote and maintain the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public,” the GPhC added.
Gisela Abbam, chair of the GPhC, commented: “It is vital that our council reflects a diverse range of skills, experience and perspectives so we can make well-informed decisions in the public interest.
“I am delighted to welcome Anita to the council and look forward to welcoming Sheila, Christopher, Liz, Ben and Claire next year. They each bring a wealth of expertise and insight, which will strengthen our work as we continue to respond to changes in pharmacy and healthcare.”
Fidler announced last week in a LinkedIn post that she would be stepping down from her role with NHS England “later this year”.
