Arrangements for the NHS CPCF for 2026/27 have been announced
Main points:
- Funding has been increased by £340 million to £3,636 million. Last year it was £3,296 million. This is an increase of 10.3%
- This will be the budget for CPCF and Pharmacy First as the budgets are now combined.
- There will be a margin write off up to the end of 2025/26 and funding uplift includes £200 million to be added to the annual margin allowance.
- Independent prescribing (IP) will be introduced from Autumn
- Cap changes to services
In more detail:
Changes to fees:
- Single Activity Fee (SAF) – will increase by 6 pence to £1.52 from £1.46 (4.1% increase). This uplift will take affect from May
- For existing services, the fees will remain the same, including thresholds for Pharmacy First
Independent Prescribing
- This will be within existing Pharmacy First pathways and Pharmacy Contraception service
- Introduction of up to 5 prescribing only pathways (allergic conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis (under 2s), oral thrush, skin infections and respiratory tract infections). These consultations will count towards the monthly clinical pathways minimum activity requirement.
- Prescribe an alternative item such as supply chain issues.
- There will be a £500 one off set up fee
- £525 monthly infrastructure fee
- Consultation fees for Pharmacy First and contraception will be paid at current PGD rates (£17 for Pharmacy First, £20 for EHC, £25 initiation or ongoing contraception)
Changes to Caps
- There will be no change to Pharmacy First caps except to include IP in total caps.
- New Medicines service (NMS) caps will be reduced by 0.1%. This change will be reflected in the Drug Tariff to apply to activity conducted in June 2026.
- Caps will be introduced for Hypertension Case Finding Service and Pharmacy First Minor Illness service
Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS)
- PQS will continue with a £20 million funding. It will be a reduced scheme consisting of only 4 activities
- Aspiration payment claim has been increased from 75% to 80%. Pharmacies can claim in July and the aspiration payment will be made on 1st September 2026.
- Gateway Criteria: Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) action plan. Pharmacies required to complete an online survey
- Medicines Optimisation and Patient Safety Domain – Respiratory: Pharmacists to complete unit 4 asthma on CPPE and pass e-assessment
- Medicines Optimisation and Patient Safety Domain – Urgent supply of repeat medicines: Pharmacies to update SOPs to contain guidance on how to support patients requesting time-critical medicines or controlled drugs.
Professional Practice Domain – Clinical audit and peer discussion
Regulatory Changes
- Pharmacies will be able to close for up to 4 hours a month for staff training, learning and development
- Late payments claims for Pharmacy First clinical pathways and NMS, giving 2 more months after the window closes
- Continued work to protect pharmacy staff from abuse and violence
- Continued work to stop inappropriate management of EPS nominations
- DBS checks will be a requirement every 3 years and be removed from the PQS requirements
- Pharmacy Access Scheme (PhAS) continues and is capped at £20 million.
- Maximum of 2 National and 2 ICB public health campaigns.