Jill Loader has recently been appointed as Assistant Head of Primary Care Commissioning (Pharmacy) for NHS England from her post as Regional Pharmacist, NHS England South.

She has been leading work nationally on making the best use of pharmacy to support pressure on the urgent and emergency care system and has published materials to support local commissioners to use pharmacy more effectively.

Jill worked previously with the NHS Commissioning Board Transition Team as Strategic Adviser – Pharmacy Commissioning to develop proposals with stakeholders for the commissioning of pharmaceutical services in England.

Previously, Jill was Associate Director for Medicines Management in NHS South West for six years and also held posts in Strategic Health Authorities in the Midlands and South West.

Jill has worked on many national groups, including the Steering Group of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to develop Principles for Medicines Optimisation and the Pharmacy and Public Health Forum Task Group, looking at identifying how and where community pharmacies sit in the emerging primary, community, and secondary care and public health systems.

She is particularly interested in patient safety and has worked on local projects with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and on patient safety in partnership with the pharmaceutical industry. Jill has worked in strategic roles in the NHS for the past 15 years and has a background working in professional leadership roles, performance management, commissioning organisations, community services, general practice and hospital pharmacy.