New GPhC chief standards officer appointed

A former pharmacist has been appointed as the new chief standards officer at the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) for a fixed term of one year.

Lynsey Cleland, who was previously the GPhC’s director for Scotland, started her new post on 9 June.

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In her new role at the regulator, she will be responsible for overseeing pharmacy education and training, pharmacy policy and standards, regulation reform, EDI, and external communications.

A pharmacist by background, she has previously served in a number of senior roles at the GPhC, including as director for Scotland for several years.

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‘Lynsey brings a wealth of regulatory, system leadership and public assurance experience, alongside a strong personal commitment to inclusive, person-centred care,’ the GPhC said.

Since leaving the GPhC in 2019, she has held a series of senior executive roles within the Scottish health and care system, most recently as director of quality assurance and regulation at Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Last month, chief executive Duncan Rudkin revealed that the GPhC was set to work more collaboratively with other professional regulators as part of its new five year strategy.

The strategy, which is due to be launched ‘soon’, will set out key themes including collaboration and integration.

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This is intended to recognise that this is how care is ‘increasingly’ being provided and how ‘regulation needs to work’, Mr Rudkin said during a virtual speech given at the Sigma Conference 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan.