By Neil Trainis

A pharmacy in Sheffield that advertised for a superintendent pharmacist on a salary of up to £75,000 attracted just one applicant – who did not turn up for the interview.

Martin Bennett (pictured), who runs Wicker Pharmacy, revealed on Twitter that he has been trying to recruit a pharmacist since November 2021 without success and insisted that although the salary offered would “really stretch” his business, he thought “it would attract good candidates.”

“It’s far more than I have ever been paid! It’s also a really interesting job but not an easy one,” he tweeted. However, he was left bemused and disappointed by the lack of applicants.

Ben Allen, a GP in Sheffield, tweeted in response: “Oh dear. Not a good sign Martin. So hard to recruit!”

One pharmacist challenged Mr Wicker by claiming superintendent pharmacists should be on “at least £100,000 a year” and claimed the £70,000 he had offered “is what most locums in Yorkshire get without any of the responsibilities that come with being a superintendent pharmacist.”

Mr Wicker responded by insisting there was “no way that current NHS remuneration would cover” a £100,000 salary and insisted it would be “a struggle to cover the figure” his pharmacy offered. The closing date for applications was February 28.

Wicker Pharmacy opened in January 1952 and claims to have been open every day since.