The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) yesterday (March 6) called for employers to “provide adequate pay” to foundation trainees after finding that programmes are “not in keeping with the value of their skills and expertise”.
“A review of data from the Oriel portal used for recruitment to postgraduate pharmacy training shows 600 foundation training programmes are currently pitched at the existing minimum wage of £11.44,” it said.
Read more: ‘Deflated’: Student stress after shortfall in trainee places
“There are hundreds more at marginally higher rates that will also fall beneath the revised minimum wage of £12.21 when it increases on April 1,” it added.
The PDA said that the review of 2025 placements “identified over 1,500 programmes will breach minimum wage law unless rates are increased in the spring”.
The PDA today (March 7) told C+D that if employers don’t pay at least the minimum wage per hour worked then they will be breaking the law.
Rates vary “greatly”
“Salaries in the Oriel data range from £20,821 to £34,098, with the contracted hours also ranging from 35 to 45 hours per week,” the PDA found.
Commenting on the findings, PDA Union national executive committee (NEC) representative for students and trainees Scott Rutherford said that “every trainee pharmacist is expected to meet the same learning outcomes and standards”.
Read more: NHSE announces 29% increase in pharmacist training places by 2028/29
“However, the rates of pay for these future pharmacists varies greatly and is not in keeping with the value of their skills and expertise,” he added.
The PDA said that it is “calling on the NHS and all those who employ foundation trainee pharmacists to provide adequate pay equal to the value placed on these future professionals”.
Firm foundations?
From July, the grant given to sites that employ a trainee pharmacist will increase from the current £18,440 to £26,500 a year per trainee.
When the boost was announced in 2023, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) England board chair Tase Oputu said that the “significant increase” in funding “is an important step forward for the pharmacy profession”.
However, she highlighted that “this grant contributes to costs not salaries” and that “pharmacy teams are under increasing pressure”.
Read more: Pharmacies hosting foundation trainees to be paid £26.5k a year from 2025
Meanwhile last month, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader slammed the government and NHS Education for Scotland for failing to plan for increased student numbers.
Jackie Baillie described the Scottish government’s healthcare workforce planning as “short-sighted” after it was unable to place all foundation training year applicants for the upcoming 2025/26 year.
