Rapisan Sawangphon/ Alamy Stock Photo
The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) will now be able to fully contribute to negotiations on the pay and conditions of NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts, after becoming a full voting member of the NHS Staff Side Council following two years as an ‘observer’.
In a statement, published on 22 September 2026, the PDA said that because it is focused solely on pharmacists, issues “specific to the profession can be raised directly”.
The PDA, which represents more than 40,000 pharmacists, can now vote on the staff side’s position as one of a group of 14 unions representing over 1 million NHS employees, the statement said. It added that recent discussions have included pay, pensions, job evaluation and flexible working.
The statement also highlighted that PDA members at any NHS employer can now get paid time off from their normal work if they volunteer to become a local PDA Union representative, representing pharmacist colleagues and pharmacy related matters in discussions with local management.
Existing members of the NHS Staff Side Council voted to support the PDA’s application to become a full member at the council’s plenary meeting held on 10 September 2026, it continued.
Neil Hardy, chief pharmacist at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Independent Care Board, commented: “Including the PDA, which represents a large number of pharmacists in all sectors of the NHS, will give pharmacists a much greater voice in matters that affect their working conditions.
“I think this is particularly helpful given the significant developments in the pharmacy profession.”
The NHS Staff Council was established in 1982 to provide a platform for NHS employers and trade unions to consult on terms and conditions of their employment.
Until now, pharmacists’ interests have been represented on the staff side by general unions, such as Unite the Union, rather than by a pharmacist-only body.
Paul Day, PDA Union director, said: “We have formally secured national representation for pharmacists employed by the NHS, and we can make much more of a material difference from the centre than ever before.
“This also unlocks the opportunity for PDA member pharmacists in NHS workplaces up and down the country to make a local difference.”
The PDA is one of 14 unions now formally recognised on the staff side, alongside UNION, Unite, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives and others.
