Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the expanded Independent Prescribing and clinical services granted to community pharmacists in the 10-year health plan will be funded.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, community pharmacies will have a vital role in the Neighbourhood Health Service, working closely with other primary care providers at a neighbourhood level to deliver services.

We expect services, including those that make use of pharmacist prescribing qualifications, to be commissioned both nationally, where that is most cost effective, and locally, to meet specific local needs and to support local populations. Commissioning arrangements and funding streams will vary depending on the service being commissioned and arrangements for local health provision.

National commissioning of pharmacies includes vaccination and related services and the services commissioned through the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. As is custom and practice, we will consult Community Pharmacy England on the scope of those services and the funding available.