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The Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP) has launched a national campaign advocating for pharmacists working in the NHS to have a minimum of 10% of their contracted hours protected for supporting professional activities (SPA). In a statement published on 7 February 2025, the GHP emphasised that this protected time "should be recognized by employers and embedded in job plans." The organisation highlighted the existing inconsistency across the UK regarding the amount of SPA time allocated to pharmacists and stressed the need for a consistent amount of development to "allow pharmacists to be able to be safe practitioners, to meet the demands of service development, and to be able to safely mentor and supervise more junior colleagues." The GHP raised concerns that many pharmacists end up doing "unpaid work" to catch up with the required training or completing self-learning in their own time. "This pressure is unfair and unsustainable, potentially contributing to burnout and in combination with all the other pressures, leads to pharmacists leaving the NHS," it stated. The GHP asserted that a minimum of 10% of contracted hours for SPA is "a strongly justifiable argument."

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.