About The DDA » DDA Board
The DDA board comprises of 14 directors, the company secretary and three advisers.
It meets at least three times a year. All directors are elected by DDA members at the AGM and are the voting members of the board.
Matthew Isom is a director and chief executive. He was appointed in September 2012 succeeding Dr David Baker who took up the post of first chief executive in 1997.
Richard West has been a member of the DDA board since 2003 and was elected Chairman of the DDA in April 2006. His special interests include education and the regulations/ dispensing contract.
He has been a partner in a dispensing practice in Suffolk since 1998. He was involved in setting up a pharmacy at the practice in 2001 – at a time when no other dispensing practice had undertaken the same initiative. As well as providing him with the experience of running a dispensary, this has given Richard a unique insight into the advantages and disadvantages of both systems.
Richard brings with him a number of qualities that should stand him in good stead for being DDA chairman. His past political experience includes being chairman of the registrars committee of the GPC, a member of the GPC, chairman of Suffolk LMC and a PCG board member – this has provided him an insight into a wide variety of NHS bodies.
Since taking on the chairmanship Richard has seen the DDA achieve many remarkable things. This includes a very successful campaign to protect doctor dispensing following the 2008 pharmacy white paper. The DDA has been involved with negotiations to look at both reimbursement and remuneration as well as helped to craft the pharmaceutical regulations.
So what are Dr West’s visions for the future of the DDA? “Being an Association that represents dispensing doctors in all forums, with many active members contributing to its success, I would like to see all DDA Board members taking on areas of responsibility and representing the Association, thus helping dispensing doctors to make the best of the changes to the NHS for the good of their patients,” he says.
His plans for the future, through his work for the DDA, include ensuring that when you do the right thing for the patient the dispensing contract reflects this so that it is the right thing to do for the practice as well. He also hopes to help doctors prove that they provide a high quality service that uses NHS resources in a cost effective way. “Giving patients a good service is the best way to maintain a dispensing practice,” he says.
Dr Mike Barstow is a Dispensing GP Partner in Leiston, Suffolk and has worked in dispensing practice since 2001.
He feels dispensing GPs provide an invaluable and excellent service to their patients and should be supported in their role. Having received help and advice in the past from the DDA , leapt at the chance to help other dispensing GPs when the opportunity arose to join the Board.
In his free time, he enjoys walking (and occasionally running) with his wife, two sons and border collie Rex.
A history post-graduate, with a keen interest in politics and government, Matthew was part of the team which negotiated the contractual framework for the GMS GP contract, introduced from April 2003. He has also held the policy brief for GP Information Technology, negotiating the GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) contract in England and navigating the introduction of the Summary Care Record (SCR) and the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) for GPs. During 2011, he lead the team working directly with the GPC Chairman, Dr Laurence Buckman, and Negotiating team during the negotiations on changes to the GMS contract.
The DDA benefits from Matthew’s past medico-political career with LMCs and the GPC/BMA across the four nations of the UK, including four years as Secretary to the Annual Conference of Representatives of LMCs.
Dr Richard Melton qualified in 1980 and was a founding member of the Dispensing Doctors Association when it started in 1985. He was acting chairman of Dispensing Doctors Association 1999 to 2000 a turbulent time when the Dispensing Doctors Association became a more democratic body and also a limited company.
Dr Melton has been a board member of the Dispensing Doctors Association since 2000 and during my time with the DDA he has participated in the Discount Abatement Review in the late 1990’s and more recently he has represented the Dispensing Doctors’ Association at the Flu Pandemic Planning Meetings.
Dispensing practice remains very dependent upon the profit that it makes from dispensing to subsidise rural practice and we continue to fight for the survival of this service (successfully to date) for the sake of not only our own practices but also that of our patients.
Dr Hal Maxwell has retired from clinical practice as from July 2025.
In the 10 years before retiring, Dr Maxwell worked as a locum in rural practices in south west Scotland. Prior to that, he was the senior partner in a small rural dispensing practice in the same area.
Dr Fiona Porter is the senior partner at a semi-rural practice in the beautiful Welsh Valleys near Bridgend.
She has been dispensing lead at her practice for many years, having joined the practice in 2001.
She joined the board in 2021 and is the chairperson of the Welsh sub-committee of the DDA. She represents dispensing doctors on the Wales EPS programme board and is an invited member of GPC Wales, advising on dispensing practice. She is keen to promote dispensing practices in Wales and is actively campaigning for a better funding model for dispensing GPs in Wales.
Away from work she is a keen singer, actor and director for amateur theatre.
Ben is a partner in a large dispensing practice in Buckingham.
Ben has been been an ordinary member of the association for years. As his practice expanded and merged, he found the support of the association invaluable. A regular at the annual DDA conference, when the opportunity to join the DDA board came up he leapt at the chance.
Ben is passionate about supporting dispensing GPs. He is based in a rural branch surgery, and every day sees the excellent care and support that the dispensing team offer to patients.
There is a huge amount of knowledge and experience stored in the brains of the DDA board. As one of the new members Ben is enjoying advising members and helping advance the cause of rural dispensing.
He lives with his young family and black labrador, Rufus
Dr Ian Hume is a dispensing GP in the market town of Diss, Norfolk. He is also the Chairman of the Norfolk LMC. He is a member of the GPC.
David is now a sessional GP in a dispensing practice after a long career in dispensing general practice in Devon and various leadership roles in local and national healthcare organisations including NHS Alliance.
He has held board roles in PCGs, PCTs, CCGs and health authorities so has a unique understanding of the intricacies of the NHS.
His focus now is on supporting the DDA and dispensing doctors.
Dr Kanwar is a GP partner in a small rural dispensing practice on the border of South Warwickshire and North Oxfordshire.
He is the dispensing lead in the practice.
He takes an active interest in medical education for students, physician associates and GP registrars. He has previously also worked as a LMC officer.
Practice pharmacist, Tamar Valley Practice
Mark Stone is a Practice Pharmacist Partner at the Tamar Valley Practice, a large rural practice that has two dispensaries and a pharmacy.
He has worked in the practice for over five years and conducts clinics as an independent prescriber for patients with all long term conditions and polypharmacy. He is responsible for the financial performance of the dispensing and pharmacy businesses.
Mark believes that bringing together pharmacists as part of the practice team enhances the service offering of the practice, supports positive patient outcomes and helps free up doctor time. His interests are skiing, outdoor activities, underperforming local football teams (Plymouth!) and has a geekish interest in economics.
Amanda Howard became company secretary in January 2022. She joined the DDA in June 2016 as the office manager, adding the role of secretary to the Board in June 2019.
Prior to starting work at the DDA, Amanda was an information consultant working in the legal sector. She has an MA in Information Studies.
In her role as DDA communications officer, Ailsa Colquhoun has primary responsibility for maintaining the DDA's website, as well as other membership communications such as the triannual DDA Dispensing Guidance, Quality in Practice. Ailsa also supports the DDA in its political lobby.
Before working with the DDA, Ailsa was a pharmacy trade press journalist.
Jacinta Edgar is a pharmacy technician with over 20 years’ experience in both primary and secondary care. She is now a GP practice business partner in a large dispensing practice in the north of England. Jacinta’s responsibilities include the overall management of the dispensary and 100 hour onsite pharmacy.
The Baroness McIntosh of Pickering is a Conservative peer. Baroness McIntosh is currently co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Water and has served as a member of the Lords Select Committee EU Environment Sub-Committee, which examined EU policy on issues including public health. Between 2007 - 2010, she was a shadow minister with responsibility for environment, food and rural affairs. Her current policy interests include agriculture, animals, food and rural affairs.
Dr David Baker is a retired dispensing GP living in rural Lincolnshire. He was the chief executive of the DDA for 10 years (2002-2012). Other posts he has held include: Ministry of Justice medical tribunal member (2003-2021), CQC medical advisor (three years) and BMA GP committee (GMSC as was) 1995-98.
David advises the DDA on regulatory matters, advising on regulatory changes. He is unashamedly pedantic.
