While pharmacists, other than trainees, would generally be on significantly higher rates of pay than that of the minimum wage, the recruitment, retention and treatment of junior colleagues should matter to NHS pharmacists.
Agenda for Change (AfC) Band 2 workers were due to fall below the National Living Wage when it increases to £12.21 per hour in April. As in previous years, a temporary uplift will, therefore be given to all Band 2 workers to lift them above the legal minimum rates of pay.
This year, in order to address compression issues between the salaries paid at Bands 2 and 3, the entry point of Band 3 will also receive a temporary uplift in pay.
|
Band |
Current 24/25 Hourly Rate |
Temporary Hourly Rate from 1 April 2025 |
TemporaryAnnual Salary from 1 April 2025 |
| Top point 3 | £13.13 | No change | No change |
| Entry point 3 | £12.31 | £12.59 | £24,625 |
| 2 | £12.08 | £12.36 | £24,169 |
This payment will be made with effect from 1 April. Full details can be access on the NHS Employers website.
Local payroll teams are now making arrangements to pay these temporary uplifts to affected workers with effect from 1 April.
While the PDA supports these colleagues receiving an increase it should be noted that this increase was not negotiated with unions. It is an imposed temporary uplift made by the Department of Health & Social Care.
The PDA supports the call from colleague unions that represent lower paid NHS workers that it is unsustainable to continue to keep NHS workers paid at around the minimum wage and that for a sustainably staffed NHS, ultimately AfC Band 2 colleagues should be paid materially more with differentials applied to rates of subsequent AfC bands.
What’s happening with the overall NHS pay for 2025?
The PDA currently expects the government to receive Pay Review Body recommendations in April and make an announcement on the pay increase they will implement in May. Following normal practice, that pay increase should be backdated to 1 April 2025.
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.