The Royal Pharmaceutical Society will not shy away from asking for government investment in pharmacy, Sandra Gidley said as she was elected chair of the RPS English Pharmacy Board for a third term.

Gidley has been re-elected with a two-year tenure. Sharon ‘Sibby’ Buckle was elected vice chair, also for a tenure of two years. David Carter, Sultan ‘Sid’ Dajani, Mahendra Patel and Ashok Soni were elected to the RPS Assembly, along with the chair, vice chair and sitting president Martin Astbury. 

Gidley said: “I am looking forward to working with the whole of the Board and RPS team to deliver on our ambition for a greater role for pharmacists across healthcare.

Commenting on the impact of funding cuts, she said: “I recognise that for both hospital and community pharmacists, recent reforms and funding reductions have had a big impact on meeting this ambition. The English Pharmacy Board will not shy away from asking for investment in both community and hospital pharmacy as we know both of these services are vital to the health of the public.”

Gidley said she was proud of the Society’s “track record in improving the number and variety of roles available to pharmacists”, saying “the £112 million investment in GP pharmacists is testament to our ability to create change”.

“We have seen,” she added,  “as a result of lobbying and partnership working, £7.5 million invested in community pharmacy access to summary care records.”

“We know how much more needs to be done and will ensure that the new government sees the benefit of a sustainable network of community pharmacies in the coming year. This is equally important to the board as the development of hospital pharmacy and new roles, for example in care homes and urgent care.”