The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has announced the appointment of Diane Leicester-Hallam as Director of Member Services.

Organising trade union representation and defence association benefits, the PDA is now the largest pharmacist membership organisation in the UK. With over 27,000 members, the organisation is committed to developing more services for pharmacists to support them throughout their working life. Diane, who has been Chief Executive of the Pharmacist Support charity since 2009, will lead the development of this arm of the PDA’s operations.

In announcing the appointment, PDA Director, Paul Day, said, ‘Diane will add great value to our organisation and we are delighted that she is joining the PDA team. Diane is a well-respected and connected influencer who understands pharmacy.

‘Helping members in times of trouble is something we will always do. We have a hard-earned reputation for helping pharmacists that face difficulty at work and every day we are resolving situations for many of our members so that they can get on with their lives. Thankfully at any given moment most of our members are not facing an immediate career threatening crisis and increasingly our activity must also be about helping them get on at work, develop their professional fulfilment and progress in their career.’

Meanwhile, Diane commented, ‘I have seen the fantastic work done by the PDA to help pharmacists in their times of need. The PDA are a great organisation working tirelessly to improve the lives of pharmacists both individually and collectively, and I am looking forward to joining the team at PDA and being part of this growing organisation.

‘I hope that more and more individuals, from first year students right through to those approaching retirement, will recognise that the PDA is there for the good times as well as the bad, and get more from their PDA membership by accessing the enhanced suite of services created for them. After nine years leading the profession’s charity; I remain passionate about developing services that will support pharmacists. The opportunity to join the PDA seemed like a natural step; as the organisation is dedicated to preventing the causes as well as supporting people dealing with the effects of poor practice and other issues within the sector.’