In response to Thursday (5 January)'s announcement on the proposal of new 'anti-strike' legislation, the Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has said that
it will work with other trade unions to defend the fundamental right for workers in the sector to strike.
The association believes that "industrial action should always be a last resort, especially for health professionals such as pharmacists, however having the option
to strike is a fundamental right for working people in a fair and free, civilised society."
"The right to strike is a fundamental right through which employees can act collectively to secure and protect pay and conditions."
It added: "The Trade Union Congress (TUC) are coordinating the challenge to these proposals."
The TUC said in a statement: "The Prime Minister should concentrate on fixing our public services, not attacking public sector staff. The proposed legislation would
make it harder for disputes to be resolved."
The recent industrial action by junior doctors and hospital dental trainees, which is considered the longest strike in NHS history, caused a significant
impact on the NHS services.
Data published by NHS England showed that 113,779 inpatient and outpatient appointments were rescheduled due to the strike, which began on Wednesday 3 January
at 7.00am and finished at 7.00am on Tuesday 9 January.
Junior doctors make up around half of all doctors in the health service, but 25,446 staff remained absent from work at the peak of the last week's latest action.
The ongoing dispute between junior doctors and government over the 2022/23 pay award has disrupted more than one million hospital appointments so far.
The junior doctors' strike in December 2023 impacted 86,329 hospital appointments, and their previous action in October saw over 86,000 appointments cancelled.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the government's defeat in the House of Lords on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.
It believes that the proposed Bill, if enacted, would allow the government to dictate minimum levels of service during times of industrial action, enabling
employers to name specific employees that they require in work.
Those employees could then face losing their jobs if they failed to turn up to work on that day. Trade unions could also be fined if they did not force those named
individuals to go to work.
PDA director, Paul Day said, "This Bill should be of real concern to pharmacists and other health professionals. The idea of their employer being able to effectively
conscript them to work or face the sack does not feel like a positive employment relations environment."
The House of Lords has voted for key amendments to the Bill to prevent unions from being required to force workers to comply. This also prevents workers from being
forced to work or face the sack and allows for greater consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny on the proposals which the Westminster government is trying to
implement.
The House of Commons will now be required to vote on the amendments over the next few weeks. Whilst the House of Lords amendments are likely to be defeated, it
shows the degree of opposition there is to this Bill.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has undertaken an additional survey of pharmacists employed in the NHS, before deciding to hold their first-ever
ballot for industrial action.
The PDA has more than 7,000 NHS-employed pharmacists in membership and the union is actively considering balloting those members regarding strike action.
The association said: "The experience of some other unions has shown that the government's restrictive rules, designed to make it difficult for working people to
lawfully take industrial action, means trade unions should test members' strength of feeling before balloting."
"Trade unions are not only forced to rely upon postal ballots, but for lawful industrial action to be taken, the result must also meet three tests- at least 50% of
eligible voters must vote; at least 40% of eligible voters must vote 'yes' and a majority of votes must be for 'yes'."
The association is asking members in England, Northern Ireland and, Wales to show if their collective wish, insignificant enough strength, is for strike action. PDA
has emailed the survey to all its members in the NHS in the three nations and will close on Tuesday 3 January.
After a month of intense talks, the British government and unions representing consultant doctors in England have reached an agreement, potentially ending
six months of disruptive strike action.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has put forward an offer to reform the pay structure for senior doctors from January 2024, reducing the number of
pay points and the time it takes to reach the top.
As part of this offer, consultants will also be entitled to enhanced shared parental leave, bringing them in line with other NHS staff.
New arrangements will ensure a clearer link between pay progression and evidence of skills, competencies and experience, the DHSC said.
The British Medical Association (BMA) and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) agreed to put the offer to their members for a vote in the coming
weeks, with no further strike action to be called during that time.
The British Medical Association (BMA) on Wednesday announced that 33,869 junior doctors have voted in favour of extending the industrial action and the
use of action short of strike (ASOS).
With a turnout of 62 per cent, their demand stems from the ongoing campaign for complete pay restoration. The new mandate will last till September 19, starting
on 3 April.
The BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, expressed frustration at the year-long strike action, highlighting the
government's avoidance tactics to tackle soaring waiting lists, access to GPs and staff shortages.
"The government should see the urgency of the situation. Rather than waste time dragging out talks, they can come forward with a credible offer on pay right now. "
"Instead, they could be celebrating a revitalised and reinvigorated junior doctor workforce, one that feels that their value has started to be restored. That
would be an achievement worth celebrating for everyone and begin to finally turn the tide on the deteriorating workforce crisis," they said.
In what could be the longest consecutive strike action ever taken in the history of the National Health Service (NHS), junior doctors are set to begin their
six-day walkout from tomorrow (Wednesday 3 January) at 7am, until 7am on Tuesday 9 January.
As the record industrial action has come in the middle of growing winter pressures, the NHS England has warned that this week could be one of "the most difficult
starts to the year" for health services across the country.
With consultant busy covering urgent and emergency cases, the strikes could have a significant impact on almost all routine care.
NHS National Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis said: "This January could be one of the most difficult starts to the year the NHS has ever faced.
General practitioners (GPs) across England have made a resolute stand against proposed alterations in the 2024/25 national GP General Medical Services (GMS)
contract put forth by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England.
This firm opposition coincides with the declaration of an extended six-month strike by 33,869 junior doctors within the NHS, advocating for full pay reinstatement
and reforms in the pay recommendation process.
The latest survey conducted by the British Medical Association (BMA) has revealed that an overwhelming 99.2% of GPs in England are against any changes to the
existing contract.
The proposed amendments, slated for implementation from April 1st, 2024, encompass a meagre national practice contract baseline funding uplift of just 1.9%,
notably falling short of recent inflation rates.
This corroborates with GP Online poll that recently unveiled widespread GP dissatisfaction with proposed changes to the national GMS contract. 83% of GPs in
favour of strikes cite pay and funding concerns, while burnout, high workloads, and patient safety also fuel discontent.
Healthcare staff across England are facing increasing winter pressures amid junior doctor's strikes, as thousands of hospital beds are being occupied by
patients with flu, norovirus and Covid-19.
The number of flu patients in hospital has increased by almost two thirds in a week, according to the latest weekly update from the National health Service (NHS).
New NHS figures published on Thursday showed an average of 648 patients were hospitalised with flu per day this week before the industrial action, up from 402
last week. This lasts number is four times the figure reported at the end of last month (160 per in the week ending 26 November).
A combination of factors, including the doctors' strike, medicine shortages, and funding scarcity, indicates that this upcoming winter could be the most
challenging period for both community pharmacies and the NHS, Community Pharmacy England has said.
In a September 4 blog post, CPE Chief Executive Janet Morrison emphasised that the relentless pressures show no signs of easing. "Pharmacy businesses, like
numerous other sectors, are grappling with the challenges of staying afloat in the current economic climate, compounded by the detrimental effects of historical
funding cuts."
"The doctors' strike, despite ongoing assurances from the Health Secretary that their pay deal is final, will inevitably exacerbate the demand for both primary
and secondary care, leading people to turn to their local pharmacies for assistance," she added. "This, in turn, will heighten the pressure on community pharmacies."
"Whatever the coming winter brings I am sure of two things: that community pharmacies are going to be more critical to the health of the population than ever
before, and that your representatives here will be fighting on all fronts to get you the help that you need."
Even as junior doctors in England are set to take industrial action for three days next month in a 72-hour walkout from Monday 13 March, the Guild of
Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP) has been discouraging its members from taking any additional work during the strike.
"GPH members are advised to only carry out work they are qualified, competent and safe to undertake that is contained within their job description," it said in a
statement.
It noted that given the current staffing level within hospital pharmacy, it was unlikely that any additional capacity will be available perform the tasks usually
undertaken by junior doctors.
Trade bodies have reiterated the call for more funding in response to the reports that ministers are considering a Pharmacy First scheme amid the NHS strike.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that pharmacies could be drafted in to help the NHS to cope when other healthcare workers take industrial action.
But, a PSNC committee member has warned on Monday that the government suggestions are "categorically impossible" without extra funding.
The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has echoed the sentiment, saying pharmacy network is on the brink of collapse.
"We welcome plans for a Pharmacy First scheme in England. However, after eight years of funding cuts, the pressures on community pharmacies are simply untenable,"
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has submitted evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB), emphasising on the recruitment and retention of NHS
pharmacists.
It has urged the PRB to help the NHS achieve two important objectives - ensuring that pharmacists can achieve well-rewarded and the service is viewed as an a
ppealing alternative by student pharmacists.
The PDA suggested that for the NHS to remain competitive, the PRB should focus its pay approach on employees within Bands 5-8 this year.
It recognised that the last recommendation from the PRB was a "flat rate increase" and it left those working in the above-mentioned bands feeling "unhappy",
which led to the CSP taking strike action over pay for the first time in their history.
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Britain on Monday (January 10) put the biggest private health companies on high alert to deliver crucial treatments such as cancer surgery should Omicron
overwhelm National Health Service hospitals in England.
The United Kingdom's death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic stands at 150,154, the world's seventh worst official Covid toll after the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Peru.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has bet on refraining from lockdowns to deal with the Omicron variant which in recent weeks has swept across the UK, albeit with death
rates significantly lower than previous waves.
In a sign of just how stretched the NHS could become, health secretary Sajid Javid ordered England's NHS to strike a three-month deal with private health companies to allow patients to get treatments such as cancer surgery outside.
"Millions of patients have already got their tests and treatment quicker thanks to our existing deal with independent providers," said David Sloman, NHS England chief operating officer and Covid incident director.
Britain plans to launch a pilot programme exploring how new weekly weight-loss shots such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy can be given to obese patients by general
practitioners even as the drug's market launch remains unclear.
The government's announcement on the £40 million pilot programme comes after drug cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE in March recommended the use of Wegovy in adults
with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of 35, but only within the NHS specialist weight management scheme.
The timing of Wegovy's launch in Britain - which would be only the fourth country to use it - is uncertain, however, after Novo last month rationed starter doses
to secure supply to U.S. patients already on the regimen, after it was overwhelmed by demand there.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday (May 7) the pilot and fighting obesity-related diseases could reduce pressure on hospitals.
It would also support "people to live healthier and longer lives, and helping to deliver on my priority to cut NHS waiting lists".
The NHS endured a tough winter in England in particular, with waiting lists hitting record highs and staff striking for higher pay amid double-digit inflation.
The Council of the Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) to remove the two-year requirement as a registered pharmacist to have an Independent Prescriber (IP)
annotation on the pharmacy register in Northern Ireland.
It has further endorsed that the two-year requirement for entry onto stand-alone pharmacist independent prescribing courses be removed and replaced with an
assessment before admission, by course providers, based upon guidance provided by the regulator.
In conjunction with the Department of Health, the PSNI will now work towards a further public consultation on the necessary legislative changes.
Dr Jim Livingstone, president of the PSNI, said: "The Department of Health has set a clear direction which will see pharmacist independent prescribers becoming
increasingly important in the delivery of pharmacy services in Northern Ireland. Our role is to protect the public, but we are clear that our regulatory objective
should not be an unnecessary barrier to the development of the profession and enhanced services being provided to the public."