Mike Hewitson elected as NPA board member for England: New term begins April

Mike Hewitson, superintendent pharmacist & managing director ofBeaminster Pharmacy, has been elected as the next National Pharmacy Association (NPA) board member for England.

Since 2023, Hewitson has served as chair of Community Pharmacy Dorset. He is also a member of Somerset Council and a Non-Executive Director at HubRx.

The seat, open to any NPA member with up to five pharmacies, was contested by five candidates:

1.Baba Akomolafe

2.James Famakin

3.Simon Harris

4.Matt Harvey

5.Mike Hewitson

In February, David Thomas, owner of LT Chemists in Newport, was elected as the NPA board member for Wales, succeeding Raj Aggarwal OBE in an uncontested election.

Both Thomas and Hewitson will assume their roles in April, joining 10 existing board members for the new term running from April 2025 to March 2027.

Four members – Baldev Bange, Aisling O’Brien, Sehar Shahid, and Sanjay Ganvir – were re-elected to the Board in February.

Ashley Cohen, Sanjeev Panesar, Sukhi Basra, Salim Jetha, Olivier Picard, and Nick Kaye continue their terms without needing to stand for election this time. They still have another two years to run on their terms as board members.

For the new term, the NPA board members include:

1.Baldev Bange

2.Sukhi Basra

3.Ashley Cohen

4.Sanjay Ganvir

5.Mike Hewitson

6.Salim Jetha

7.Nick Kaye

8.Aisling O’Brien

9.Sanjeev Panesar

10.Olivier Picard

11.Sehar Shahid (Scotland)

12.David Thomas (Wales)

However, the board seat for Northern Ireland remains undecided as the selection process continues.

As part of the transition, the association bids farewell to several long-serving board members who have reached the maximum term limit under new governance arrangement: Raj Aggarwal OBE, Dr Ian Cubbin, Michael Guerin, Andrew Lane, and Raj Patel MBE.

The new NPA board will meet in April to confirm the appointments for chair, vice chair, treasurer, and other key positions.

Current Chair Nick Kaye welcomed the incoming members, stating: “We welcome the new board members to the dynamic, diverse and determined national leadership of independent community pharmacy”.

“This is a highly challenging period for the entire sector, so it’s great that the board is of such calibre and passionate about supporting and representing independents across the UK.”

He also recognised the contributions of the departing board members, highlighting their dedication and expertise in guiding the organisation and maintaining its century-long position at the heart of independent community pharmacy.