The CPPSG said it was “delighted” to announce Ms Steele’s ascension into the role following her tenure as vice chair of the group, in an announcement published yesterday (August 26).

C+D understands that Ms Steele will take on the role following Ms Perkins’s departure at the end of this month. Jackie Giltrow, clinical governance lead at Paydens, will step into the role of vice chair, CPPSG said.

The group pointed to Ms Perkins’s “instrumental” role in setting up the CPPSG in 2015, when an NHS alert stipulated that all pharmacy businesses had to appoint a medicines safety officer. Since then, the CPPSG has played a “crucial role in driving the patient safety agenda forward”, it said.

“The group’s work has been wide-ranging – covering issues from the reduction of look-alike-sound-alike errors and other medication errors to advocating for an open and transparent approach to reporting, as well as sharing and learning from incidents,” it added.

Ms Steele “delighted” to take on role

Ms Perkins, who announced in June that she was leaving her role at Well Pharmacy, said she was “extremely proud of what the CPPSG has achieved since its inception”.

“I am delighted to welcome Victoria as my successor – she has already proven herself as an excellent vice chair to the group and brings a wealth of leadership and patient safety experience which, I have no doubt, will serve the group extremely well,” she added.

Ms Steele praised her predecessor’s “enormous…contribution to patient safety in her role as chair”.

“She has led the group with tireless enthusiasm and commitment and her efforts and achievements cannot be overstated,” she said.

“I am passionate about patient safety and delighted to be taking on the role of chair of the CPPSG and in doing so, driving further improvements in community pharmacy to ensure patients have the best possible care,” she added.