Appointment of Council Members to the Pharmaceutical Society Of Northern Ireland
Date published:
Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt has announced the appointment of four Council Members to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
Siobhan Caslin, Anne Henderson and Lee Wilson have been appointed as Lay Members and Michael McGuigan as a Registrant Member. All four appointments will commence on 4 November 2024 and will end on a date not later than 3 November 2028.
PSNI Council Members are remunerated by an attendance fee. Attendance at meetings of up to 4 hours duration attracts a fee of £120 and meetings over 4 hours attract a fee of £240. Training and induction days attract a fee of £120. Council Members’ role carries a time commitment equivalent to 12 days per annum.
The procedure for these appointments is not bound by the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland, however, these appointments have been made in the ‘spirit of the Code’.
The PSNI was established by the Pharmacy and Poisons Act (Northern Ireland) 1925 and has been based at 73 University Street, Belfast since 1933. It is the regulatory and professional leadership body for pharmacists in Northern Ireland. Its objectives include, amongst other matters, to advance chemistry and pharmacy and promote pharmaceutical education and the application of pharmaceutical knowledge, while safeguarding the interests of the members in the Society in their exercise of the profession of Pharmacy.
It maintains a register of over 2800 pharmacists, 140 pre-registration trainees and over 500 pharmacy premises across Northern Ireland.
The Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland comprises of 14 Non-Executive Members (7 pharmacists/registrant members and 7 lay members).
Notes to editors:
- Siobhán Caslin is a barrister with over twelve years’ experience in public and regulatory law. Currently working as in-house counsel to the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), an independent subsidiary of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), she advises on the governance and regulation of payment systems in the UK. Prior to joining the PSR, Ms Caslin worked extensively as a Case Presenter for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), dealing with lengthy, complex, and high-profile fitness to practice cases. She was elected a Scholar of Trinity College Dublin and graduated with First Class Honours in Law. She also holds a First Class Masters in Law from Trinity, where she completed her dissertation on the Human Rights of Travellers, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies (Bar course) from Queen’s University Belfast. Ms Caslin was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2011 and the Bar of England & Wales in 2015. She currently holds one other public appointment with the Department of Health as a Non-Executive Lay Member of the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery. This appointment requires a time commitment of 20 days per annum and is not remunerated.
- Anne Henderson trained as a chartered accountant in Belfast. She subsequently worked for Time Warner Inc., film and music, where she travelled throughout the US and Europe, working to improve the effectiveness of regional operations. She returned to Belfast as a management consultant with BDO Stoy Hayward. Mrs Henderson’s experience of the public sector includes her membership of the Board of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, from 1995 to 2012, as vice-Chair and acting Chair. She was chair of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland, from 2014 to 2020 and has served as a member of the Board of the International Fund for Ireland, and the audit committee of Queen’s University. Mrs Henderson holds one other public appointment with the Department of Health as a Non-Executive Finance Director of the Public Health Agency. This appointment requires a time commitment of 5 days per month with a remuneration of £10,053 per annum.
- Lee Wilson brings 20 years’ experience in health service finance to the role. He also has extensive experience in Corporate Governance through a wide range of Board positions and currently holds two other public appointments. One with the Department of Health as a Non-Executive Member of the Children's Court Guardian Agency for NI where he Chairs its Audit Committee. This requires a time commitment of 30 days per year and attracts a remuneration of £4,174 per annum. His other public appointment is with the Department of Education; from May 2021 he has been a Non-Executive Member of the Labour Relations Agency and Chairs its Audit Committee. This position requires a time commitment of 2 days per month and attracts a remuneration of £5,643 per annum. Mr Wilson also Chairs the Audit Committee of the NI Commissioner for Children and Young People and is a member of the Audit Committee for the Commissioner for Older Persons in NI. Previously, he has served as a Non-Executive Board and Audit Committee Member of the Consumer Council for NI, the NI Social Care Council and NI Medical and Dental Training Agency. Academically, Mr Wilson holds a BA Hons in Business Studies, an MA in Corporate Governance and a PG Diploma in Social and Community Development.
- Michael McGuigan is a highly experienced pharmacy professional with a career in community pharmacy management and operations. Upon qualification, he quickly rose to prominence as a manager for an independent chain of pharmacies, demonstrating strong leadership and operational expertise. Within just four years, Mr McGuigan progressed to Superintendent Pharmacist and Head of Operations for the group, overseeing the efficient running of 10 branches across England and Wales. In addition to his operational role, he has made significant contributions to the wider pharmacy community serving as the Medicines Safety Officer for The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMP), where he promoted better medication safety practices for all the members. He has also played a pivotal role in the integration of community pharmacy with other branches of primary care, acting as the Primary Care Network (PCN) lead for two PCNs in the North West of England, fostering collaboration between pharmacies and broader healthcare providers. His leadership, deep understanding of community pharmacy operations, and his commitment to patient safety have made him a respected figure within the pharmacy sector.
- Appointments to the PSNI are made by the Minister of Health.
- All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. The appointees have all declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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