Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) English board member Sultan ‘Sid’ Dajani claimed last Friday (June 1) that the society “has not vociferously stood up against the funding cuts” in England; and called a public motion to ask the RPS to back the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee “in standing against” the decision to cut pharmacies’ funding.

The RPS told C+D later that day that “we have consistently said the government is not making the most of what community pharmacy has to offer”.

“A strong unified front is the best way to secure a future for community pharmacy,” president Ash Soni and English board chair Sandra Gidley said in a joint statement.

“We have always strived to be collaborative with [the] government, but we challenge where appropriate to ensure patients can access the care they need from pharmacists.”

“The English board has built strong relationships with the other pharmacy bodies and we are now all working together more closely than ever to tackle these challenges.”

Mr Dajani, who narrowly topped the RPS English board election results last month with 782 votes, said when he announced the motion that he wanted to prevent a “weak statement” from the RPS and that he would like “an open debate about the funding cuts”.