Alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel recruits new member

The alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) has announced the appointment of a new Panel member.

Following a rigorous and highly competitive recruitment process, Martin Machray has been appointed to the Panel and will sit in his first meeting on 28 November. He will replace outgoing member Angela McNab.

Martin is currently the Director responsible for improvement, transformation and partnerships across the NHS in London. He qualified as a general nurse in 1989 and since then he has held senior roles in hospitals, commissioning, the Department of Health and the NHS.

He’s held a variety of roles in the NHS including Regional Chief Nurse and, during the pandemic was the Incident Director for London. Now much of his role is working with partners from all sectors of the capital, including Local Authorities, the Greater London Authority and the community and voluntary sector.

As well as his professional qualification, Martin also has a Masters degree in Public Sector Administration from Aston University.

The Panel is chaired by Rachel Childs and new members are carefully recruited in order to represent a cross section of society with a balance of experience and expertise in key areas such as licensing, public health, children’s services and law.

The ICP is independent from the Portman Group and considers complaints brought forward on the naming, packaging, promotion and sponsorship of alcoholic drinks based on the Portman Group’s Codes of Practice. The Panel meet several times a year to consider these complaints and decide whether they are upheld or not upheld based on evidence.

“I am thrilled to announce Martin’s appointment to the Panel, and we are all looking forward to welcoming him," said Childs. "He has a truly impressive breadth of experience and knowledge in public health, which I have no doubt will make him an asset to the Panel. This was a very competitive recruitment process with an exceptionally high calibre of candidates, so I’d also like to thank all of the applicants involved, as well as Angela for her service to the Panel.”