The PDA is supporting pharmacists employed by LloydsPharmacy who have been advised that the company has not retendered for the contract to provide pharmacy services to the Scottish prison service. As a result of LloydsPharmacy exiting the contract, those pharmacists may transfer to whichever employer takes over the service, or if their function does not transfer to a new employer they will be at risk of redundancy.
Specific jobs become redundant when the needs of the business for employees to carry out work of a particular kind in the place where they are employed ceases or diminishes. Therefore, if a company no longer need a pharmacist at a location at which a member’s employment was located due to a decision to exit the contract, that person is at risk of redundancy.
Employers are required to try and avoid compulsory redundancies and though a specific role may be redundant, this does not automatically mean the individual ceases their employment if suitable alternative employment can be found. For example, there could be a vacancy for a pharmacist role at another of that employer’s locations within a reasonable distance of that person’s home. Any proposed alternative needs to be suitable for the individual and their circumstances.
However, the end of a contract would lead to the end of a pharmacist’s employment if there are no suitable alternatives available with the employer.
The PDA Union will be representing these individuals to ensure they understand and can exercise their rights at work to either continue their current role under a new employer, transfer to a suitable alternative role, or leave with the appropriate redundancy compensation.
PDA members impacted by this change can contact the PDA Service Centre for advice.
Changes like this can happen at any employer at any time, and so all pharmacists who are not yet PDA members are encouraged to join without delay, so that if it happens to them they too can rely upon the PDA for support.
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists, and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.