Any remaining hopes that the 2000-01 pay offer for hospital pharmacists might be increased from the current 3.25 per cent were dashed at a meeting of the secretaries and chairmen of the Pharmaceutical Whitley Council on November 1. In a statement on November 9, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists said: "The management side stated that it had no room for manoeuvre around the 3.25 per cent already on the table, but it was prepared to consider addressing unintentional misinterpretations and associated problems arising from implementation of the 1999-2000 award." Staff side representatives sought a resumption of talks within the Whitley Council's joint working party on recruitment and retention, particularly with regard to modernising the grading structure. This would be discussed by the management side.