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The former deputy medical officer for England, Professor Dame Jenny Harries DBE DL, has been appointed as the non-executive chair of the Community Pharmacy England Committee.

Professor Harries brings a “wealth of expertise from working in public health across all levels of government”, says CPE.

She was the founding chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency and has wide experience of clinical and public health science and practice, as well as health service commissioning.

She has previously served on the UK’s Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), and for many years worked directly with communities through local government and the NHS, including as a director of public health. 

The chair role at CPE, which Professor Harries takes up today (1 September) – includes leadership of the CPE Committee, supporting strong governance and strategic delivery, and working closely with the executive team to enable effective engagement with business owners and wider stakeholders.

She replaces outgoing chair Sue Killen who completed her term of office at the end of August.

Dame Jenny said: “I am really excited to be working so closely with community pharmacy. Pharmacies were critical stakeholders during my time in local public health teams; and they are uniquely placed to provide care and support to those in the most deprived.

“We saw clearly just how critical the hard work of pharmacy owners and their teams was to achieving national healthcare goals through the Covid-19 pandemic. The huge potential for a supported and sustainable community pharmacy sector to play a key role in the delivery of national prevention and public health initiatives is being recognised as never before.

“I am keen to help nurture the sector, the professionals within it and the undoubted opportunities for improvements in health.”

Janet Morrison, CPE’s chief executive, said Professor Harries “will be an excellent addition to the Committee, bringing her extensive knowledge and experience to bear in our goal of securing a sustainable future for community pharmacy in challenging times.

“Jenny will undoubtedly prove a key asset as we champion the value of the sector, its huge clinical potential and the vital role it plays for patients and communities.

She also thanked Sue Killen for her commitment to community pharmacy over the past six years, helping to steer the Committee through a significant period of change.

Coinciding with her appointment at CPE, Dame Jenny has also been made an Honorary Professor of Health Security at the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy.