Archives: Contractor Email

Dear Contractor,

As a follow up to the CPNI meeting with the Health Minister on 21st February, CPNI has been asked by SPPG for assistance in obtaining information from Contractors on the increased staff costs they incurred in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.

It is recognised by SPPG and DoH(NI) that significant changes to National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) arrangements from 1st April 2021 obligated community pharmacies to review and increase all staff salary/wages annually since then. To assist in potentially off-setting these increased costs SPPG will submit a business case, informed by Contractor salary/payroll information, to try and secure further in-year funding for the community pharmacy sector.

Your assistance is therefore sought in relation to providing the following tax year payroll information for the 3 years referred to above:

  1. Monetary value of your total increased salary/payroll costs in each year compared to the previous year.  The additional E’er NIC should also be provided.
  2. The number of pharmacy staff that this relates to.
  3. The percentage of the increased costs that relate to staff with any NHS related activity.
  4. The number of pharmacies to which the information relates to.

Whilst this information is required for the periods 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 payroll/tax years it is anticipated that a similar follow-up exercise is likely to be required for 2024/25, to take account of the further significant NMW/NLW changes applicable from April 2024.

The information for the 3 years referred to above is the priority at this stage, but additional pension contribution costs will also be required in due course given that increased pension costs are also a natural consequence of NMW/NLW increases.  If you, or your payroll administrator/accountant is also able to provide the additional pension cost information at this stage then please include this as an additional line in your return to CPNI.

While I appreciate there are many demands on your time at present can you provide the information listed above to office@communitypharmacyni.co.uk no later than Tuesday 5th March 2024.

Further information on this, as well as other potential areas where Contractors in NI are subject to demonstrable and unique NI-cost increases relative to other parts of the UK, for which SPPG may be able to provide additional funding for, will be provided at this evening’s Contractor meeting.

Any information provided to CPNI will treated as private and confidential, it will be internal to CPNI office staff only and it will be shared only with SPPG in an anonymised format for the purposes outlined above.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI office should you need additional information or clarification in relation to this request.

Yours sincerely,

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
DHNI has written to contractors (here) enclosing a link to the online controlled drug declaration and self-assessment for 2024 which is mandated under The Controlled Drugs (Supervision of Management and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.

Action

Contractors are reminded that this online questionnaire must be completed by 31 March 2024.

If you have any queries regarding the completion of the questionnaire, in the first instance please contact Roisin Madine (02890 520264) roisin.madine@health-ni.gov.uk or Aaron McKendry (02890 528628) aaron.mckendry@health-ni.gov.uk.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs

REMINDER

Dear Contractor

Further to CPNI CU#240222A,  I write to confirm that the contractor meeting will take place on Wednesday 28 February 2024 at 8pm in the Laganview Suite, Crowne Plaza Belfast, 117 Milltown Road, Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast, BT8 7XP.

An update will be provided to contractors on last week’s meeting with the Health Minister, as well as providing further information in relation to ongoing community pharmacy funding concerns and next steps.

This will be an ‘in-person’ only meeting.

I would encourage you all to attend this meeting.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

NICPLD issued correspondence on 19 February 2024, including a letter and FAQs outlining the recruitment process for the FTY programme 25/26, and inviting contractors to apply for a training grant. The correspondence stated (amongst other things) that trainees would be employed by a Single Lead Employer (SLE), and would receive a salary equivalent to the National Living Wage (£20,048 p.a. in 23/24), paid by the SLE, throughout both the community pharmacy and hospital placement periods.

NICPLD subsequently issued an update letter and updated FAQs on 21 February 2024, on foot of further communication received from the Department of Health advising that the SLE model will not in fact be in place for FTY 25/26 and is not likely to be functional until 27/28.  This means that FTY trainees for 25/26 and 26/27 will now be employed directly by the community pharmacy and the relevant hospital trust for their respective placements.

The updated 21st February 2024 information confirms that the 2025/26 FTY community pharmacy salary remains at £20,048 p.a. pro-rata (based on the National Living Wage). Whilst the correspondence does not detail the 2025/26 FTY salary provided in the hospital sector, it has been confirmed to CPNI that the 2025/26 FTY salary in the hospital sector has been increased from £20,048 to £27,055 p.a. pro-rata, based on Agenda for Change Band 5.

CPNI does not consider the manner in which preparations for FTY 25/26 have been managed in recent weeks, as well as the inadequate and differential FTY salary arrangements between the community pharmacy and hospital sector, to be appropriate and CPNI will continue to make representations to DoH(NI).  Further information will be provided at tomorrow evening’s Contractor Meeting.

CPNI notes that the most recent FTY correspondence invites contractors to address any queries to nicpld-fty@qub.ac.uk.  Additionally, contractors may wish to contact CPNI and can therefore email queries to eshields@communitypharmacyni.co.uk.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive

Dear Contractor

Further to CPNI CU#240222A, I write to confirm that the contractor meeting will take place on Wednesday 28 February 2024 at 8pm in the Laganview Suite, Crowne Plaza Belfast, 117 Milltown Road, Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast, BT8 7XP.

An update will be provided to contractors on last week’s meeting with the Health Minister, as well as providing further information in relation to ongoing community pharmacy funding concerns and next steps.

This will be an ‘in-person’ only meeting.

I would encourage you all to attend this meeting.

Kind regards

SENT ON BEHALF OF
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
You will have received correspondence from DHNI (dated 23 February 2024) in respect of the reclassification of codeine linctus to a prescription only medicine (POM).

Background

Recent safety information has revealed that codeine linctus is being used recreationally for its opioid effects, rather than for its intended use as a cough suppressant. This carries a serious risk of addiction and overdose which can be fatal.

Following the results of a public consultation and the further advice of the CHM, codeine linctus will no longer be supplied without a prescription. This is a risk minimisation measure to protect the health of patients in need of treatment, to prevent recreational use, and to enable the identification of individuals who may have become unintentionally addicted to codeine. Patients will still be able to access codeine linctus with a prescription from a qualified healthcare professional. This will ensure that the medicine is used safely and appropriately under medical supervision.

All market authorisation holders (MAH) are in the process of updating their product licences to reflect the change to POM.  Once the licences have been updated, the MAHs have committed to implement the changes to their product information within 3 months.  The MHRA made a public announcement as soon as possible in the interests of public safety.  To avoid any ‘stockpiling’, all existing codeine linctus stock should now be treated as POM.

Action

Contractors should:

  • Review the correspondence issued by DHNI and bring this to the attention of their pharmacy teams;
  • Note that DHNI has indicated that to avoid any ‘stockpiling’, all existing codeine linctus stock should now be treated as POM;
  • Note the advice for healthcare professionals contained within the letter;
  • Note the advice for healthcare professionals to provide to patients contained within the letter; and
  • Follow the advice in respect of the reporting of any suspected adverse drug reactions through the Yellow Card scheme.

Kind regards

Mike

SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY
Head of Regulatory Affairs