PSNC North-East and Cumbria regional representative Mark Burdon resigns

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC)'s North-East and Cumbria regional representative, Mark Burdon, has resigned from his role. The Committee has invited all eligible independent contractors to fulfil the post.

The new regional representative will be asked to hold the position until the end of the current term for all Regional Representatives which is now March 31, 2023.

“A representative of independent contractors in the following Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) areas will be sought: · Community Pharmacy County Durham · Community Pharmacy Cumbria · Gateshead & South Tyneside LPC · North of Tyne LPC · Sunderland LPC · Tees LPC,” said PSNC.

Eligible independent contractors from these LPC areas are invited to express their interest in the role and then, if an election is triggered, to vote to select their new regional representative in due course -- PSNC will issue a full briefing on this process.

Further information, including details about the role of regional representative, the election process, actions required for those seeking to stand for election and timescales, will be shared by the committee with the relevant LPCs and contractors in due course.

In the meantime, PSNC has asked any contractors or LPCs in the North-East and Cumbria region needing assistance should contact PSNC director of Contractor and LPC Support, James Wood.

Janet Morrison, PSNC CEO, said: “From the short time that I have spent with them so far, I can already see the very important role that the PSNC regional representatives play in bringing the voice of independent contractors to the heart of all PSNC work and decision-making. This will continue to be critical, and I look forward to working with our new Regional Representative from North-East and Cumbria in due course.

"Mark has spent an impressive 16 years as a regional representative, during which time I understand he has worked tirelessly to represent the independent contractors in his region. Mark has been an enthusiastic contributor to many important PSNC workstreams, subcommittees and working groups, including chairing our Resource, Development and Finance subcommittee and leading on many of our wider and international sector relationships. He has also been a familiar face across parliament and in the national media, advocating widely for all that community pharmacy has to offer. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Mark Burdon said: “My time at PSNC has been both challenging and hugely enjoyable, and I will miss working with committee members and the executive team at PSNC. But I had always planned to leave PSNC at the end of my current term due to end in 2022, and with the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic now over, a new chief executive in post at PSNC, and the Review Steering Group concluding its work, the time is still right for me to stand down. I wish everyone at PSNC the very best, and I will look forward to supporting the new regional representative for our area in any way that I can. I will be continuing in my RSG and LPC roles.”