NPA board update: David Thomas succeeds Raj Aggarwal OBE

Five NPA members are contesting for the remaining position in England

David Thomas, owner of LT Chemists in Newport, will replace Raj Aggarwal OBE as the next National Pharmacy Association (NPA) board member for Wales, following an uncontested election this month.

Following the conclusion of a nomination process last week, Baldev Bange, Aisling O’Brien, Sehar Shahid, and Sanjay Ganvir have been re-elected to the Board, representing areas of England and Scotland, according to a statement from NPA.

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.

Two board positions remain open. The nomination process is ongoing in Northern Ireland, while in England, five NPA members are contesting the remaining seat, which is open to any member with up to five pharmacies.

1. Baba Akomolafe
2. James Famakin
3. Simon Harris
4. Matt Harvey
5. Mike Hewitson

Hustings for this final board position in England will take place shortly and a ballot for this position will take place later this month, the NPA said.

Recruitment is also currently underway for the new chief executive to succeed Paul Rees.  

Paul Rees MBE stepped down as NPA chief executive in the new year to take on a new role as interim chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

He joined the NMC on a one-year contract starting January 20, where he is responsible for overseeing the development of a multi-year programme aimed at transforming the NMC’s culture and performance.

New Board to resume work in April 

The current Board will hold its final meetings on 10–11 March, with the newly elected members assuming their roles in April.

NPA chair Nick Kaye welcomed Thomas to the board, which he described as “the dynamic, diverse and innovative national leadership of independent community pharmacy”.

On his new role, David said: “It’s a great privilege and I’ll do my utmost to ensure that NPA members in Wales are well represented and supported throughout my period on the board.”

Raj Aggarwal OBE, a longstanding board member, will step down from the position after more than a decade of service.

Under the NPA’s modified governance cycle, around half of the board positions are up for election every two years.