The Westminster and Welsh governments have announced that they will meet the PRB recommendation, and it is expected the Northern Ireland government will do the same, though these are separate decisions by governments in each nation that have responsibility for each National Health Service.
The PDA is part of the NHS Staff Side council and represents pharmacists in ongoing discussions with government year around. However other than in Scotland, where pay is negotiated between the NHS Unions and government, the other UK nations currently work on a basis where governments, unions and others give evidence to the independent PRB who then recommend an increase for governments to consider, hence this is not the result of a pay “negotiation”.
At 3.3%, this year’s increase is below latest annual inflation rates, which means it is a real terms pay cut to the salaries being paid to NHS pharmacists when compared to how prices have increased over the last year. This is extremely disappointing, has inevitably undone some of the progress on pay made in the previous two reviews, and sits awkwardly alongside other joint work with government to deliver the aspiration of the NHS being considered the country’s best employer.
Alongside this annual increase the PDA and the other health unions continue to seek an additional funded intervention on some structural issues with the overall Agenda for Change pay system, which if implemented would improve the pay of some employees, as well as making the system fairer. These conversations are ongoing and the PDA will keep working towards this and other improvements to NHS employment on behalf of pharmacists.
While the precise timing is not as significant as the percentage increase itself, it does still have an impact. It is recognised that the government committed to confirming pay review decisions in good time after years of unnecessary delays under previous governments meant lengthy periods of backdating were required. The government have accelerated the process again this year, actually confirming the announcement in advance of the April implementation date, and this is an aspect PDA welcome and want to see repeated.
The PDA will review the full PRB report and will be asking members for their views on this announcement. Meanwhile the PDA are also supporting members impacted by restructuring at NHS England and highlight that some NHS employed pharmacists are simultaneously in the midst of potential redundancy situations as Integrated Care Boards (ICB) are making cuts and NHS England itself is being merged into the Department of Health and Social Care.
Get involved
The NHS consists of hundreds of employers (Trusts, health boards, etc). If there is no local PDA rep yet in place at an employer, local members are encouraged to step forward and fill the role as soon as they are able.
Learn more
- Westminster government announcement on pay – 12 February 2026
- Welsh government announcement on pay – 12 February 2026
- The Department of Health and Social Care’s written evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body for the pay round 2026 to 2027
- NHS Employers’ evidence to the NHS PRB 2026/27
- 39th Report of the NHSPRB ( February 2026)
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