The government has planned for a pay rise of 2.8% for pharmacists working in general practice and the NHS for 2025/26, it has been announced.

In written evidence to the pay review bodies for general practice staff and NHS staff, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it had ‘set aside 2.8% for pay for both’ groups.

‘DHSC view this as a reasonable amount to have set aside based on the macroeconomic data and forecasts and taking into account the fiscal and labour market context,’ it said in a letter published last night (10 December).

In previous years, pharmacists employed under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) were supposed to receive a pay rise in line with NHS Pay Review Body recommendations, while pharmacists employed directly by general practice were covered by the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) recommendations.

Following updates to the primary care networks (PCN) DES in September, the government has been reimbursing PCNs 5.6% more per clinical pharmacist ARRS role from 1 October 2024 than they did since March 2023.

This was in line with the 5.5% Agenda for Change pay increases that were set out in July.

However, networks were told they needed to find the money for these uplifts within their existing 2024/25 budgets if they were to grant pay rises to staff.

The total amount of ARRS funding allocated to each PCN remained at January 2024 levels, which was in itself an uplift of just 22p per weighted patient from the 2023/24 DES.

As in previous years, this could mean that if PCNs uplift ARRS salaries, they risk having less money to hire further roles, or may even need to reduce their workforce.

And a recent survey by our sister title Pulse PCN found that less than half of PCNs had given their ARRS staff a pay rise of at least 5.5% since April this year.

The DDRB – for GPs and employed general practice staff – as well as the NHS Pay Review Body has been taking evidence ahead of its recommendation, but the timing of DHSC’s evidence suggests it will come earlier than in recent years, as health secretary Wes Streeting has instructed.

Reaction to follow