In this issue:
- Changes in law to flexible working
- Roots of Racism workshop
- Being LGBT+ and diagnosed with ASD
- NAWP attends the Women’s Health Professional Care and Best Practice London conference
- The journey to parenthood: how may I assist?
- In case you missed it
- Upcoming opportunities to get involved
- Get involved
Changes in law to flexible working
By Liz Larkin, PDA Organiser and Co-ordinator of the PDA Ability Network
The PDA welcomes the latest changes in law on flexible working, which came into effect on 6 April 2024.
The recent changes mean that:
1. All employees can make a flexible working request from day one of employment.
2. Employees can now make two requests within 12 months instead of just one.
3. Employers now only have two months to respond to a flexible working request, rather than the previous limit of three months.
4. The employee is no longer required to outline in the request the effect on the organisation.
Flexible working can assist many employees with their work-life balance, such as those who may need to change their working pattern or hours due to caring responsibilities or health conditions.
However, these changes will only be beneficial if employers have a culture which supports flexible working and sees the value of it, as evidence shows many employees are uncomfortable with putting in a request. Employers can only refuse a request if there is a genuine business reason as set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996.
ACAS has produced updated guidance to reflect the changes.
Learn more
- Code of Practice on requests for flexible working
- Employment Rights Act 1996
- What employment laws are changing from April 2024?
Roots of Racism workshop
By Alima Batchelor, PDA Head of Policy
I attended a Roots of Racism course, which took place at Quorn Grange in Leicestershire at the beginning of February. The course was provided by the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) and was led by Roger McKenzie, who is a journalist and trade union activist with many years of experience of work on race equality issues.
I wasn’t sure what to expect but found a supportive and inclusive atmosphere with the emphasis on discussion and sharing of experiences. This was backed up by short presentations by Roger looking at where the negative views of Black and Asian people started, how these views affect society to this day, and what we can do to address them.
There were opportunities for delegates to discuss their own lives and work experiences in small groups and then share key points with the whole group.
I learnt some interesting facts about the reason behind the promulgation of negative views of Black people and heard accounts of differences in how white and non-white workers are treated to this day in some work settings.
I think this is a worthwhile course that provides food for thought for attendees and an underpinning knowledge that runs deeper than the mandatory training we all attend.
I think one of the most important messages was that all workers are better off when they find common ground and organise to challenge racism and other inequalities together. That’s why I would recommend this course to delegates of all backgrounds.
Learn more
- As part of the PDA’s affiliation with the GFTU, members can access a range of online and face-to-face courses at low or no cost. Find out more here.
- PDA BAME Network launches Anti-Racist Pharmacy Toolkit
- PDA BAME Network
Being LGBT+ and diagnosed with ASD
By Liam Volk, President of the PDA LGBT+ Network
I turned 30 this March. Eight days later I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I’d had suspicions of being on the spectrum for several years. I thrive on routines and struggle if plans change last minute. I also have a few sensory aversions, struggle to tolerate heat, and feel extremely uncomfortable with giving eye contact to even close family and friends. But with this, some things come in handy. My pattern recognition and memory have always been a strong point, and this means I picked up running a warfarin clinic faster than lots of my peers did. I struggle to understand people’s emotions, but my memory has also given me a good ‘logical empathy,’ which means I’m able to support colleagues and friends through difficult times without becoming distressed in the process.
It was only during the adoption process when I began reading up lots on making adjustments for children with additional needs that I thought ‘how could I do this for a child without doing this for myself first?’ It was because of this that I pursued an official diagnosis. Everyone’s diagnosis experience can be different, but mine involved several sessions with a clinical psychologist on Microsoft Teams over the course of a day. It was a very tiring day as I had to speak lots about every aspect of my life and by the end of the day, I was flat out. However, the psychologist was very kind and supportive, and by the time she finished the day, she announced that my diagnostic outcome was indeed ASD. I felt a sense of relief about this, as I felt vindicated in my understanding of myself and felt more prepared in how I could be kinder to myself.
I told my employer about my diagnosis, and they were supportive about referring me to occupational health to get reasonable adjustments made. This referral is pending, but knowing I have the support of my managers regarding this has really helped me feel secure and valued at work.
As an LGBT+ person with ASD, these factors of mine haven’t existed solely in silos…
NAWP attends the Women’s Health Professional Care and Best Practice London conference
By Ayah Abbass, President of the PDA NAWP Network
I attended the Women’s Health Professional Care and Best Practice London conference on 28 – 29 February 2024. This was a very interesting and inspiring event. I had the chance to speak to so many wonderful inspiring women who are trying to shift women’s health in a positive way instead of it being taboo or a stigma. What I found wonderful is the pharmacist’s role in this exhibition. Many events were hosted by female pharmacists and showed how they are changing the healthcare environment to be more welcoming and understanding of women’s health.
I managed to attend multiple sessions that were very beneficial and not only empowered me as a pharmacist but also as a patient. I attended sessions where I learnt so much more about a range of topics, such as managing menstrual migraine by Nazia Hussain, which is a topic we don’t focus on enough, as well as learning more about endometriosis which is a topic we have focused on as NAWP. Tailoring our approach to help women suffering from endometriosis is so important to understand patient suffering. I was so overwhelmed and proud to see how we are slowly approaching women’s health struggles more seriously and tailoring our ways to help out.
Some very relatable sessions were called ‘Practical steps to support Women’s Health in Primary Care’ and ‘The role of Community Pharmacy within the Women’s Health Strategy and Patient Pathways.’ This helped me and others to understand that we are on the right path to help pharmacy become a better world for women – not just as pharmacists but as patients too.
Overall, this was a very inspiring and empowering event on women’s health. I hope to attend again next year and would encourage other pharmacists and NAWP members to take part too.
The journey to parenthood: how may I assist?
It is estimated that one in seven couples in the UK have difficulty conceiving. Pharmacists can add value to professional conversations with prospective parents by considering the following points.
Do:
- Access the facts. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the UK government’s fertility regulator. It offers impartial and accurate information about IVF, clinics, and other fertility treatments.
- Understand national policy. NICE outlines the NHS pathway and required quality standards. The original guidance (CG11 Fertility: assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems) was published in 2004 and sections have been updated since: NICE CG156 Fertility problems: assessment and treatment in 2017, and more recently NG73 – Endometriosis: diagnosis and management in April 2024. The CPPE module Women’s health: Pregnancy includes content on the problems associated with fertility.
- Know the basics. The approach taken by the NHS follows protocol and can be lengthy. Private healthcare will fast track the necessary investigations, but at a price.
Don’t:
- Underestimate what prospective parents have already invested before they approach you. Active, non-judgmental listening is recommended. Have you been approached for a solution or to act as an informed listening ear?
- Dash hope. Unpick the statistics for the patient if asked, but let the numbers speak for themselves.
- Suggest alternatives such as surrogacy, fostering, or adoption. Potential parents will know that these options exist.
In case you missed it
- Find out more about the PDA NAWP Network!
- PDA Equalities Council celebrates the year’s successes
- PDA Ability Network releases initial findings from the disability discrimination survey
- Members of the PDA BAME Network were at CPC, and led a session called ‘Stopping racism at the front line of pharmacy.’ PDA to attend Clinical Pharmacy Congress 2024
- PDA NAWP Network’s International Women’s Day event: Women and Inclusion in Pharmacy
- The PDA LGBT+ Network will be at Manchester Pride again this year. Come and support them: Manchester Pride Registration 2024 Survey
Upcoming opportunities to get involved in
It’s Time to Address Discrimination: Standing up for sitting down
The PDA Ability Network will be launching its campaign, ‘It’s Time to Address Discrimination: Standing up for Sitting down’ next month. The campaign will focus on encouraging pharmacists with disabilities or long-term health conditions to assert their rights at work, to demand that employers make appropriate reasonable adjustments, and ask them to create a culture of zero tolerance that has no place for discrimination in the workplace.
The campaign is on the back of a survey carried out by the PDA Ability Network that shockingly reveals the extent of discrimination that our members have experienced. 40% of respondents said that they felt they had been excluded from the workforce, under-employed, or unemployed as a result of disability discrimination.
One network member said, “disabilities are not a crime or a stigma, but the lack of support and understanding added to my mental and physical stress.”
Keep an eye out for the campaign and please promote it on social media. If you’d like to get involved in the campaign, please email [email protected].
NAWP and BAME elections
NAWP elections will take place in the summer and the BAME Network will hold theirs in the autumn. If you’re interested in standing for election, please email [email protected] for more information.
Get involved
Membership of the PDA’s EDI Networks is open to all UK pharmacists, former pharmacists (e.g. retired or taking a career break), and all UK pharmacy students and trainee pharmacists. This is regardless of age, race, gender, sexual identity, disability, nationality, hours worked, or employment status. Pharmacists do not need to identify as BAME, disabled, LGBT+, or as women in order to join these networks. All networks welcome allies, people who will support equality and fairness for all.
You do not need to be a member of the PDA to join, though PDA members do benefit from a discounted membership fee. PDA members can join a network for £10 per year, retired members for £20 per year, and non-PDA members for £30 per year. In accordance with our support for future pharmacists, membership of the networks is FREE for PDA student members and trainees (PDA student and trainee membership is also FREE).
- Join the PDA Ability Network
- Join the PDA BAME Network
- Join the PDA LGBT+ Network
- Join the PDA NAWP Network
- Follow the PDA EDI Networks on social media using the hashtags, #PDAability, #PDAbame, #PDAlgbt, and #PDAnawp.
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