Funding negotiations result in five-year Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) deal

• It includes a clear vision for the piloting and introduction of new pharmacy services – such as the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS), being introduced ahead of this winter – over the course of the five years. This will bring pharmacy into a more integrated central role within primary care and it enables the sector to help to deliver the ambitions set out within the NHS Long Term Plan.
• Crucially, following strong representations from PSNC about rising costs for pharmacies, the deal secures funding for five years over this period of change. The deal will be reviewed on an annual basis, with detailed discussions on implementation and funding of new services each autumn.
• This funding – which amounts to almost £13bn over the five years (£2.592bn per year) – is a significant increase on the Government's planned funding level.
• PSNC agreed to the deal following lengthy and difficult negotiations, recognising that while many community pharmacies are facing severe financial pressures, the deal puts the sector on a clear future path.
• The deal provides pharmacy with opportunities to transform and prove our value; protected funding despite widespread Government austerity measures; opportunities to explore new funding models and to improve the delivery of funding to contractors; the chance to pilot and roll out new services; opportunities to look for new ways to make efficiencies and to further integrate within primary care; and, importantly, a new collaborative relationship with our key customers.
• The proposals constitute a fundamental and challenging ‘change of ask’ for community pharmacy, but successful delivery will further benefit the NHS and the hundreds of thousands of people who visit and are helped by community pharmacies on a daily basis.
• Discussions about services and funding for introduction from October 2019 are being accelerated and further information will be made available for contractors as soon as possible.

More about the new CPCF agreement has been produced by PSNC, which includes:

• briefings and resources
• a summary of the deal
• a service development grid
• a set of FAQs
• updated information on the revised 'Quality Scheme'

PSNC webinar

Community pharmacy teams can now view an on-demand version of PSNC's recent webinar describing the new 5 year deal on the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF). The PSNC policy team outline the terms of the new CPCF agreement for 2019/20 to 2023/24.

View now at: PSNC webinar on-demand

PSNC Roadshows

PSNC will be holding a series of Sunday roadshow events for community pharmacists across England. The events will take place throughout the autumn, hosted by PSNC Chief Executive Simon Dukes and his team.

The events will cover:

• Understanding the five-year deal and what it means for your pharmacy
• Why PSNC agreed to the deal, with the chance to ask questions of the Negotiating Team
• Preparations for the introduction of the new Community Pharmacist Consultation Service
• The Pharmacy Quality Scheme
• Understanding how pharmacies need to start preparing for the future
• The wider NHS context and your new local health and care structures

The dates and locations of the Roadshows have now been published below. Although all events will be free to attend, community pharmacists and their teams are asked to register in advance.

Venues are just being finalised and registration will open shortly.

Morning events will be held from 10am-12pm, with registration open from 9:30am.
Afternoon events will be held from 3pm-5pm, with registration open from 2:30pm.

Dates and locations are being kept up to date on the following PSNC website page:

• https://psnc.org.uk/our-news/psnc-launches-cpcf-roadshow-event-schedule/