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Insight Online – September 2022

This month, learn about our sessions at The Pharmacy Show 2022 and how the NHS pay increase may result in reduced take-home pay for some pharmacists. Also, read about the Bank Holiday that was declared in respect of the state funeral of HM The Queen and how employers should have given employees an additional paid day off.

Tue 20th September 2022 The PDA

In this issue:

  • Bank Holiday for State Funeral of HM The Queen Elizabeth II on Monday 19 September
  • The Pharmacy Show, 16 – 17 October 2022
  • Members where NHS pay increase results in reduced take-home pay
  • Pharmacist’s march to demand action on cost of living and wage degradation
  • PDA calls for improved clarity from ‘independent’ commission into professional leadership
  • PDA welcomes measures to improve online exams
  • Latest news
  • Enjoy a range of PDA Plus benefits!
  • Spotlight On: MORPh

Bank Holiday for State Funeral of HM The Queen Elizabeth II on Monday 19 September

A Bank Holiday was declared across the UK in respect of the state funeral of HM The Queen. We have reminded members about our guidance on entitlement to bank holidays which was previously published in April 2022.The state funeral of HM the Queen on Monday 19 September has been marked with an additional bank holiday. In the circumstances of this bank holiday, we hope that regardless of any contractual position, all employers will have given all their employees an additional paid day off of work, either on the bank holiday itself or at a later date for those who are unable to take an extra day off from work on that particular day.

We send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family, for their personal loss.

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The Pharmacy Show: 16 – 17 October 2022

We will be involved in delivering two sessions at the Pharmacy Show this year titled ‘LGBT+ inclusion in Pharmacy’ and ‘Medicines to Ukraine’. Speakers for these sessions have now been announced.

LGBT+ inclusion in Pharmacy

Taking place in the Business Theatre on Sunday 16 October 2022 from 4.25 pm to 4.55 pm

The PDA LGBT+ Network provides a structure through which members can work together to proactively address and campaign around sexual orientation and transgender discrimination. This session will review the network’s achievements since its launch in April 2020; in particular, the campaign around more inclusion of LGBT+ education in the MPharm programme.

Confirmed speakers for this session

  • Scott Rutherford, President of the PDA LGBT+ Network and a trainee pharmacist
  • Soh Xi Ken, Honorary Secretary of the PDA LGBT+ Network and a trainee pharmacist

Medicines to Ukraine

Taking place in the Business Theatre on Monday 17 October from 11.55 am to 12.25 pm 

EPhEU is the umbrella union for many pharmacist unions across the continent of Europe. We hold a senior position within that organisation, and Mark Koziol, PDA Chairman is currently the Secretary General of EPhEU. We have been working with various continental pharmacist union partners and are responding to the calls from Ukrainian hospitals for help and specialist medicines, by launching a Medicines to Ukraine campaign.

Confirmed speaker for this session

  • Mark Koziol, PDA Chairman

Other PDA speakers will be participating on panels and in other sessions at the show.

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Members where NHS pay increase results in reduced take-home pay

We are highlighting that some members employed by the NHS face a situation where the pay increase will result in them receiving less take-home pay each month, and due to the increase being backdated they now need to repay money to their employer.

We sought members views and submitted a consultation response regarding NHS pensions in October 2021. The government’s response to that consultation was published in February 2022 and we updated members again at that time. Members employed by the NHS are encouraged to re-read these articles and the link to the outcome of the government’s consultation.

One issue that the above links demonstrate the government has committed to resolving, can currently still occur, and some members have experienced this already, whereby the latest NHS pay increase can result in them receiving less take-home pay.

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Pharmacist’s march to demand action on cost of living and wage degradation

PDA members participated in the Scottish Trade Unions Congress (STUC) march to let the government know that “Scotland demands better.”

PDA National Officer, Paul Flynn, reports from the STUC march:

On 8 September 2022 PDA members joined with workers from other public sector workplaces to demand that the Scottish government takes all available action to mitigate the biggest reduction in living standards workers will have experienced for generations.

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PDA calls for improved clarity from ‘independent’ commission into professional leadership

We hope that the exercise to re-invigorate professional leadership in pharmacy will be a success. However, the survey issued by the Commission on Professional Leadership highlights the need for those behind the commission to clarify some of their thinking, assumptions, and scope of the discussion before pharmacists can provide informed contributions based on a shared understanding.

We represent pharmacists practicing in all parts of the profession and across the entire UK, and our 35,000+ members have a significant stake in the outcome of a discussion about the future of professional leadership for pharmacists.

Learn more

PDA welcomes measures to improve online exams

We welcome the GPhC and PSNI plans to ensure a more robust, fair, and positive experience for trainees, provisionally registered, and potential pharmacists who will be sitting the November 2022 assessment.

We have been supporting online exam candidates since the previous paper-based exam process was first replaced. Many candidates at the latest assessment experienced significant delays, technical issues, inadequate invigilation, and disturbances in test centres around the UK as the newly appointed company BTL ran the high-stakes pharmacist examinations for the first time. The next online exam is due in November 2022 and we welcome proposed improvements to be introduced before that sitting.

Learn more

Below is a summary of some of the other key news stories that have been published on our website recently:

17/9/22 – SOS NHS Conference 2022: End the NHS Crisis

16/9/22 – Medicines Information and the SPS Transformation in England

14/9/22 – PDA reacts to Welsh government intervention on community pharmacy pay

9/9/22 – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

8/9/22 – The science behind wellbeing workshop

7/9/22 – PDA welcomes new Health and Social Care Secretary

6/9/22 – PDA Ability Network praises the introduction of workplace support passports at Boots

5/9/22 – My role as a PDA Rep

2/9/22 – Tackling Bullying in the Workplace Event

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Enjoy a range of PDA Plus benefits!

Did you know that as a PDA member, you can take advantage of exclusive PDA Plus offers and discounts? Whether it’s getting a special gift for a family member or friend or treating yourself to a new car, PDA Plus has exclusive offers for you.

This month you can save 20% online on prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses with VisionExpress. This offer is available now and ends on 30 September 2022 so be sure to take advantage of this limited-time offer!

LOG IN TO YOUR PDA PLUS ACCOUNT TODAY

Introducing the all-new MORPh Associateship!

By popular request, MORPh are launching the MORPh Associateship to provide pharmacists with a career development route and allow MORPh to develop resources shaped by you.

By joining the MORPh Associateship, you will have access to:

  • Post Nominals for both Member and Director.
  • Dedicated Annual General Meeting (AGM) with career advice and support, advanced academy level training, sharing of best practice, competencies explained, networking, and mentoring opportunities (date below).
  • Access advanced training to further your CPD.
  • Resources shaped by your needs and requirements.
  • Priority Access, when MORPlaunches a new academy or the next cohort of an existing one, you will be the first to hear about it and have priority to apply for your place before anyone else on the MORPnetwork.
  • Exclusive Telegram group where you can access experts in advanced curricula.

MORPh will be holding the inaugural AGM on 25 October 2022 in London, with both the venue and event programme to be confirmed in the coming weeks. If you want to attend all you need to do is confirm with MORPh that you will be there.

10% of all subscriptions will be forwarded on to the PDA’s charity partners Pharmacist Support. Pharmacist Support is an independent, trusted charity, providing a wide variety of support services to pharmacists and their families, former pharmacists, and pharmacy students. Learn more here.

The MORPh Associateship is open to both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. For more details or to sign up, please click the button below or visit the MORPh website.

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