Pharmacist Support are appointed for an initial term of three years. Trustees are able to serve a maximum of nine years consecutively, which provides an opportunity for fresh perspectives, skills and experience to be included on a regular basis. The trustees are responsible for our governance and strategic direction.
Read more about how we are governed
We aim to have a board that reflects the diversity of the pharmacy profession, and ensures full insight into the challenges and needs faced by our pharmacy family. Meet our board of trustees below and understand what motivates them to volunteer for the pharmacy profession’s charity!
Esther Sadler-Williams (Chair)
With over 40 years’ experience in a variety of pharmaceutical roles (retail, hospital and industry), and having established a number of businesses, Esther brings with her insight into the many sectors of pharmacy along with strong strategic business skills. Esther has also been involved in a number of pharmaceutical steering groups to drive change within the industry.
Mark Sweeney (Vice Chair)
Mark is an experienced pharmacist and independent prescriber, with a special interest in the treatment of addiction, anxiety, and depression. Alongside clinical practise, he is currently a PhD Student in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London. He volunteers with multiple organisations to advocate for harm reduction services, evidence-based drug policy and improved outcomes for people who have substance use disorders.
Alison Scowcroft
Alison is a community pharmacist with 20 years’ experience in front line pharmacy, head office, business development, LPC and NHS roles. She worked for Co-op and then Well pharmacy for 17 years, eventually moving into a variety of head office roles including business to business, OPD, prisons and care homes. Alison spent 5 years with the not-for-profit Greater Manchester community pharmacy provider company CHL, where she was Director of Strategic Programmes, leading the organisation’s strategic and business planning, operating framework and stakeholder engagement & management. From 2004 she was a committee member (and Chair from 2008) for Oldham, Tameside, and Glossop LPC. Alison was also a founding member of the GM association of LPCs (CPGM) prior to LPCs formally merging in 2016. Alison is currently Community Pharmacy Clinical Lead for NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB), where she leads on community pharmacy integration and quality oversight and assurance of community pharmacy services.
Dave Downham
A graduate of Cambridge University, Dave qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the Business Assurance division of Coopers & Lybrand. After managing a wide assortment of audit clients in varying industries from textiles to manufacturing to retail, David joined an online pharmacy as Head of Finance.
After a brief hiatus as Financial Director of an Executive Recruitment firm and an online resourcing business, he returned to pharmacy as Head of Finance for a small chain of community pharmacies in Yorkshire, from which his own business ET Downham was spun out. ET Downham now offers financial support and accountancy services to a range of clients in and around the sector.
Karen Harrowing
Karen has over four decades of experience in public, private and voluntary healthcare settings and remains a voting member of the UK’s largest healthcare charity. She has been involved in national committees and boards focused on improving safety in healthcare and in patient information resulting in the development of new regulations, standards, and policies. Karen has also worked closely with wider operational teams, to support staff during investigation of patient safety incidents. Originally trained as a Pharmacy Technician, Karen is an Honorary member of APTUK and is a Fellow of the RPS. Her portfolio now includes independent advisory roles on regulation, quality governance and safety.
Mala Khiroya
Mala has worked as a pharmacist for over 15 years in various community and hospital pharmacy roles. She is currently Managing Director and Superintendent Pharmacist of the outpatient pharmacies within Leicester Hospitals where she aims to ensure patients receive high quality, safe and effective care, and ensure the health and wellbeing of colleagues. Mala has successfully completed the Mary Seacole Leadership programme and in 2015 was selected as a finalist in the region for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s I love my Pharmacist award.
Mohammed Hussain
Mohammed has worked at senior level in a portfolio career spanning national regulation, education, national health care technology and service redesign. He is the Senior Clinical Lead for Live Services at NHS Digital, leading a clinical team that supports NHS Digital’s Live services across England. Mohammed has served on a number of Boards and is currently a Non- Executive Director at Bradford NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust and Chair of the Quality Academy. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK and a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Clinical Informatics. Mohammed remains a practising pharmacist and is an elected Independent member of his LPC and is passionate about health technology, championing diversity and delivering excellent clinical care.
Paul Day
Paul has been Director of the PDA since 2017. He has decades of experience as a senior leader in the not-for-profit sector, previously serving as Deputy General Secretary of the Association of Teachers & Lecturers, Chairman of the Abbey National Group Union and Chief Operating Officer at the Business Disability Forum.
He has served on four local authorities, including as a cabinet member on a unitary authority and as mayor of his hometown, and he has been involved in the governance of many community and not-for-profit bodies. Paul is currently vice-chair of his local Healthwatch, a member of the executive committee at the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) and holds several other trusteeships.
Sarah Willis
Sarah is an experienced academic, researcher and former Company Director, with a background in both private and public sectors. She is a senior lecturer in the Alliance Business School at the University of Manchester. Sarah was previously a research fellow for the Centre for Postgraduate Pharmacy Education and Manchester Pharmacy School where in 2013 she first became involved with Pharmacist Support, leading the evaluation of the charity’s Wardley Wellbeing pilot.