GP employers in Northern Ireland have committed to engage in further negotiations on pay for practice pharmacists, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has confirmed.

And no decision will be made on industrial action until then, the union suggested.

The PDA was planning to formally ballot its practice pharmacist members in Northern Ireland after a consultation suggested that 90% would be prepared to take industrial action if a resolution was not found over the 2023/24 pay award.

But the union confirmed to The Pharmacist today that it had successfully secured a commitment from GP employers to engage in further negotiations, which would be scheduled for early September.

‘PDA continues to strive for resolution and will update members on developments then,’ a spokesperson said.

‘Industrial action remains a possibility until such times as GP employers make a proposal that is acceptable to the majority of our members,’ they added.

Since is unlikely that GP employers would make a further proposal until the next round of negotiations, ‘no decision will be made on industrial action until at least then’, the spokesperson confirmed.

The PDA had claimed that GP Federations in Northern Ireland had received funding from the government in Northern Ireland to apply a pay award to GP staff, but that pharmacists had received different pay increases depending on where they worked.

It previously said it wanted to see GP employers give their pharmacists a 5% increase plus a lump sum of £1505, as was given to NHS staff in Northern Ireland under the 2023/24 pay deal.

It comes as concerns have been raised over funding for a 2024/25 pay rise for practice pharmacists in England.