The British Medical Association (BMA)’s General Practitioners Committee (GPC) in England is currently balloting its GP partner and contractor members regarding taking collective action. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) took a day of action on 20 June 2024 and has another day of action scheduled for 19 September 2024.
These are both examples of disputes between groups of contractors and the NHS and are different to ‘strike action’ which is when employees are in a trade union organised dispute with their employer. Learn more by clicking here.
The BMA’s GPC is the only body which represents all GPs in the UK. It deals with all matters affecting NHS GPs, regardless of BMA membership. The national standard GP contract to deliver ‘core’ medical services, is negotiated nationally every year between NHS England and the BMA GPC England.
The NPA is the representative voice of independent community pharmacies across the UK. It elects some of the Community Pharmacy England (CPE) board. The CPE board, formerly called PSNC, negotiates the elements of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England.
The above disputes relate to these contractors’ unhappiness with their contracts with NHS England.
Guidance for employed and locum pharmacists
Each group of contractors may employ pharmacists and engage locum pharmacists and the PDA is providing advice to members who find that their employer/client is engaged in such a dispute.
Read the PDA’s guidance below
Learn more
- NHS Patient Information on GP collective action
- Industrial action
- National Pharmacy Association
- Community Pharmacy England
- Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024
- General practitioners committee UK overview
- NHS England GP Contract
- PDA update on industrial action: why, how, and when strikes are called
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