Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that self employed locum pharmacists are paid in a timely manner for services delivered within NHS contracted pharmacies; and whether he plans to introduce additional protections to prevent non payment.

Responsibility for agreeing contractual terms and for ensuring payment to self-employed locum pharmacists rests with the retail pharmacy businesses that deliver National Health Service pharmaceutical services.

Where locum pharmacists have trouble recovering unpaid fees, support is available through the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service and Citizens Advice, including guidance on pursuing payment through the courts and on seeking unpaid wages or other sums owed by an insolvent business.