Five non-executive directors (NEDs) have been reappointed to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) board, with the majority of their new terms to begin in September 2025. 

The board advises on the Agency’s strategic direction and supports the Chief Executive by providing leadership, developing strategy, advising on policy delivery, maintaining high standards of corporate governance, scrutinising performance, and ensuring that controls are in place to manage risk. 

Two directors have been reappointed for two years: 

• Professor Graham Cooke, beginning 1 September 2025. 

• Dr Paul Goldsmith, beginning 1 September 2025. 

Three directors have been reappointed for an additional year: 

• Dr Junaid Bajwa, from 1 September 2025. 

• Rajakumari Long, from 1 September 2025. 

• Michael Whitehouse OBE has been reappointed as a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee for a further one year from 1 September 2026. 

Two other board members – Amanda Calvert and Haider Husain – will be leaving the MHRA board at the end of their current terms, on 31 August 2025. 

The appointments will continue to involve a time commitment of 2 to 3 days per month, and remuneration for the Non-Executive Director role will continue at a rate of £7,883 per year, with the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee Chair continuing to receive £13,137 per year. 

All appointments are made in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Governance for Public Appointments. 

The regulation of public appointments against the requirements of this code is carried out by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. 

The appointments are made on merit, and political activity played no part in the decision process. However, in accordance with the code, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. 

None of the appointees have declared any political activity. 

More information on the work of the Agency Board can be found on the MHRA’s Governance page.