Press Release

HPC welcomes three new Council members

11 July 2007

Following the May elections, the Health Professions Council (HPC) is pleased to announce two new members to the Council and one re-elected member. John Donaghy, Neil Willis and Pam Sabine will take their places at the Council meeting today (9 July, 2007), following their election as the paramedic, biomedical scientist and chiropodist/podiatrist members of the Council.  

John Donaghy is currently Principal Lecturer & Professional lead in Paramedic Science at the University of Hertfordshire, prior to this post, he worked for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) for 29 years, the last five years as Sector Training Officer based at the City & Hackney complex. Throughout his career he has carried out the full range of operational duties, such as: Patient Transport, Accident & Emergency, Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), Response Units, Duty Officer, and Decontamination team member.  John has worked at the University for the past four years and undertook his Honours Degree in Paramedic Science there. He has been involved with the validation of Paramedic programmes and curriculum design.

Pam Sabine is head of podiatry and podiatric surgery services at South East Essex Primary Care Trust, combining management of the service with her clinical role as Consultant Podiatric Surgeon. She is a past Chairman of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists and a former member of the Chiropodists Board at CPSM. Pam is actively involved in professional groups such as the Association for Extended Prescribers. Pam is a member of the South East Essex diabetes network and the Trust Professional Executive committee. She is an Independent Reviewer for second stage complaints with the Healthcare Commission.

Neil Willis works part time as the Laboratory Medicine Coordinator for Training and Development at the University Hospital of Wales having retired as the Acute Biochemistry Services Manager in Medical Biochemistry. He was elected to the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (CPSM) in 1999 and was nominated first to the shadow HPC and was the HPC registrant member for Council for Biomedical Scientists until 2005 where he was the Chairman of the Investigating Committee. He is the Chairman of the Cardiff branch (South East Wales) of the IBMS, the Employer Liaison Panel at UWIC, Cardiff Medical Centre Sports, Social Club and Children’s Charity and is Vice Chairman of the Cardiff Branch of Amicus. He has been a partner (visitor) for the HPC and is the external examiner for Biomedical Sciences for the University of Essex.

Anna van der Gaag, President of the Council, said “I am delighted at the election of Neil Willis and John Donaghy and the re-election of Pam Sabine. The Council is at an exciting and challenging time, when the government has recommended that the HPC regulate applied psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors as well as health care scientists. The combined experience in education, clinical practice, management and research of the three new members will ensure they make an immediate and valuable contribution to the work of the HPC and to implementing the recommendations in the recent White Paper.”

The Council is responsible for developing strategies and policies. It consists of 26 members: one member from each of the professions, (plus 13 alternate members), 13 lay members, and a President. The current president is an HPC registrant.