Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group appoints Victoria Steele as chair

Victoria Steele, superintendent pharmacist at LloydsPharmacy, has been appointed as chair of the Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group on Thursday (August 26).

Steele, who is currently vice-chair of the group, said: “I am passionate about patient safety and delighted to be taking on the role of Chair of the Patient Safety Group and in doing so, driving further improvements in community pharmacy to ensure patients have the best possible care”.

Along with the new appointment, the group announced farewell to their current chair Janice Perkins, the former pharmacy superintendent at Well Pharmacy.

Perkins played an instrumental role in the creation of the group, which was established in 2015 following an NHS alert that required all community pharmacy businesses to identify a Medication Safety Officer (MSO).

The MSO role is undertaken by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Numark for independent pharmacies.

Perkins said: “I am extremely proud of what the Patient Safety Group has achieved since its inception. We have worked together, tirelessly, to promote patient safety and drive improvements in community pharmacy.

“Time and time again we have shown the value of sharing and learning across the sector and what can be achieved when organisations take an open, honest and patient centred approach to patient safety.”

The group also appointed Jackie Giltrow, clinical governance lead at Paydens group as vice-chair.