CPE calls NHS staff pay rise as ‘unfair’ to community pharmacies

The Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has called the recent announcement of six per cent pay rise for the public sector workforce as ‘unfair’ for the community pharmacy sector.

On Thursday (13 June), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that  pay scales for most doctors and dentists will increase by at least a six per cent this year after the government accepted the recommendations from the independent pay review bodies in full.

Responding to the recent announcement Chief Executive Janet Morrison, said: “The public sector workforce pay rise will be welcome news for its recipients given the huge inflationary pressures and the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis. But for community pharmacy owners – who have faced 30% funding cuts in recent years and who are struggling to meet their rising wage costs – this feels unfair, and very far from good news.

At Community Pharmacy England we are fully focused on the current financial and operational pressures and fighting hard for a sustainable long-term funding arrangement.

The £645 million Access Fund investment in community pharmacies will bring vital additional funds into the sector, and complex negotiations on this are continuing at pace.

This week’s pay announcement will undoubtedly put yet more pressure on squeezed healthcare funding, but it is critical that pharmacies get a fair deal and all the support they need to continue carrying out the services that patients, the public, and the NHS need.”