Hospital pharmacists have accepted a new pay deal that compares well with awards offered to National Health Service groups covered by pay bodies (p806). But what pharmacists would like, of course, is their own pay review body. They will therefore welcome confirmation that they are indeed to be included in the Government's plans for extending the remit of the existing NHS bodies (PJ, February 20, p240). It seems they are likely to be covered by an extended nurses pay review body - which would be a considerable improvement over the possible alternative of being lumped into the single pay negotiating forum proposed for a ragbag of professional groups not covered by one.
But what of pay review in community pharmacy? Parliament was told last week by the Minister of State for Social Care (see p808) that the Government "supports all pharmacies in England by ensuring that they are paid fair and appropriate remuneration for the services they provide on behalf of the NHS". (Pause for hollow laughter to subside - who says that there are no jokers left at the Department of Health now that Frank Dobson has gone?) Surely if remuneration is to be "fair and appropriate" - and is to be seen as such - it should be determined by a pay review body with a measure of independence rather than, as now, imposed over the heads of a pharmacists' review panel that was emasculated by a previous government.