As we accelerate our roll-out of clinical services in Alitam stores, I’m delighted to announce the appointment of former Head of Operations at Well Pharmacy, Alice Hare, to the Executive Board. Hailing from 2 of the UK’s top 3 pharmacy businesses, and with a wealth of experience in omnichannel, and futuristic, patient care, Alice Hare has precisely the acumen required to help me deliver the preventative healthcare model, underpinned by pharmacy, which forms the basis of my radical vision for healthcare.

Alice joins as Head of Services Mobilisation and boasts an impressive career history, with highlights including: the establishment of all new and innovative operating models throughout her 25 year career within community pharmacy; and leading on a variety of partnerships that deliver a futuristic model of primary care which better positions community pharmacy as the first port of call for patients.

As such Alice is the perfect fit for Alitam, and a huge advocate of our movement to revolutionise healthcare by fully utilising highly skilled and experienced community pharmacists. She contacted me having seen our work at the vanguard of innovation, most recently with our roll-out of GP-type clinical services like Minor Ailments Clinics, diabetes

checks, weight loss clinics and more in Alitam stores. It’s no understatement to say that, as soon as we met, we realised it was a meeting of minds. Alice has the acute intelligence, crucial experience and personable qualities to render her ideal for this role.

She will be instrumental in transforming our community pharmacies from their product-based offering to one of clinical and wellbeing services; and will work closely with out Chief Operating Office Bharti Patel in this regard. Many Alitam pharmacies already offer ‘GP-type’ services, of course, but Alice will be ensuring all pharmacies incorporate them where feasible.

Alice will also work ‘at the coalface’ with every one of our pharmacies, guiding them through the process of widening their clinical repertoire, and enabling the cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiences which is in the Alitam DNA. With her engaging manner, and boundless enthusiasm, Alice will be a real asset to Alitam.

Of course, Alice is the latest in a slew of hirings – comprising my ‘dream executive team’ – including: Chairman Sir Ken Olisa, the Lord Lieutenant of London and renowned businessman and philanthropist, Consultant Antony Isaacs, former MD of HSBC Global; Managing Director Zac Brech, the former MD of Credit Suisse; and Chief Operating Officer Bharti Patel, former Avicenna Group Executive Director.

Now is the time to relieve the burden on primary care and allow our underutilised, yet highly experienced and trusted, community pharmacists to offer the people of the UK and Ireland the healthcare they deserve. With each day Alitam makes huge strides in the direction of delivering a preventative healthcare system; this will empower patients and save our health services enormous amounts of money. I will be making more announcements soon.