Skip to content

This Site is Intended for Healthcare Professionals Only

Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

PDA welcomes government's move to backtrack restricting workers' rights

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the Westminster government's move to backtracked from their plan to remove a large number of rights and standards and is having to overhaul the Retained EU Law Bill.

This had included a number of employment rights, including TUPE transfers and the Working Time Directive, which had been established in the UK from EU law.


The Bill’s ‘sunset clause’ was originally going to automatically repeal any EU law not enshrined in UK law by the end of 2023. Critics of the Bill were concerned that this gave the government powers to reform or remove laws without normal Parliamentary scrutiny.

"This would have abolished many improvements to workers’ rights which were enacted through the EU legislature," said PDA.

PDA Director, Paul Day said, “Part of the role of the PDA is to be the trade union for pharmacists. Trade unions lead the campaigns to secure laws relating to rights at work and trade unions will now fight to retain them. Though we have won this battle, holiday pay, parental rights and health and safety protections remain vulnerable.

"If a government aims to reduce the rights at work of pharmacists, and others, then we will need to keep fighting those proposals.”

The Working Time Directive is now going to be retained and no major employment rights will be removed at this time.

"However, the government has still stated its intention to reduce record-keeping for working time purposes. The government has also stated its intention to introduce ‘rolled up’ holiday pay and merge two separate leave entitlements into one pot of statutory leave," said PDA.

More For You

Call to improve inclusivity in clinical research

Ethnic minority adults continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials.

iStock

Call to improve inclusivity in clinical research

A NEW report has called for the participation of a wide range of diverse communities in clinical research to make sure that the medicines meet the needs of the UK's increasingly diverse population.

The report ‘Achieving inclusivity in clinical research’, prepared by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), highlights the long-standing challenges in ensuring diversity in clinical trials.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pharmacy students Learning Support Fund

Pharmacy students will be included in the Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses section of the NHS Learning Support Fund.

iStock

Pharmacy students to have access to Learning Support Fund

FOR the first time in England, pharmacy students will be eligible to reimburse travel and accommodation costs while attending placements.

The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that pharmacy students would finally be included in the Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) section of the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF).

Keep ReadingShow less
NHS for robotic surgery

Patients undergoing robotic surgery are able to recover quicker and be discharged sooner.

Pic credit: iStock

NHS pushes for robotic surgery to reduce waiting time, improve outcomes

The NHS is planning to step up robotic surgery over the next decade to reduce waiting time, help in the speed of recovery of patients, and shorter hospital stay.

As per the NHS projections, the number is expected to zoom from 70,000 in 2023/24 to half a million by 2035.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scotland's digital patient care record

The amendment ensures that every person who receives health care or a social service in Scotland will have a digital care record

Pic credit: iStock

Scotland's move to create digital patient care record hailed

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in Scotland has welcomed the decision of the Scottish Parliament to create an integrated digital patient care record.

The move came during a debate on the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday (10), when Jackie Baillie tabled an amendment to ensure that every person who receives health care or a social service in Scotland has a digital care record.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman using a period tracker app

Cambridge University academics have flagged concerns over the safety of period tracker apps

Pic credit: iStock

Users of period tracking apps face privacy, safety risk, say experts

The report said the apps provide a "gold mine" of data for consumer profiling and warn that in the wrong hands it could pose a safety risk

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY academics have flagged concerns over the safety of period tracker apps and warned that the women using them could face privacy and safety risks.

Keep ReadingShow less