Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 help support community pharmacies from the potential impact of changes to the living wage, national insurance and business rates.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.
In 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. Additional funding is also available, for example for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Department will shortly consult with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27. As part of this we will consider financial pressures on the sector.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the NHS's refusal rate in paying pharmacies for carrying out Pharmacy First Services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.
The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of shortening the Pharmacy First Service claim window in June 2025 on pharmacies carrying out that service.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.
The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of pharmacies who have not been paid for carrying out Pharmacy First Consultations due to a shortening in the claim window in June 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.
The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of pharmacy contractors who are due outstanding payments from the NHSBSA for Pharmacy First Services and (b) total value of outstanding payments.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.
The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHSBSA provide timely payments to pharmacists carrying out Pharmacy First consultations.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pharmacy First is an essential approach to make greater use of pharmacy professionals and shift more care from hospital into the community. The service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions, enabling patients to receive a complete episode of care in the pharmacy setting, reducing pressure on general practitioners and the wider healthcare system. This shift is significant and represents a new way of working for the National Health Service that will offer patients greater choice and improve access to the care they need.
As part of delivering the Pharmacy First service, pharmacy contractors receive a monthly fixed payment if they meet specific requirements, which include minimum activity levels. From June 2025, pharmacies delivering 20 to 29 consultations receive £500, while those with at least 30 consultations continued to receive £1,000 monthly. To make this change and facilitate more timely payments, the claim window for Pharmacy First was reduced from three to one month. The new tier of payment supports pharmacies with lower potential for delivery and has increased the number of pharmacies qualifying for Pharmacy First fixed payments. This adjustment was agreed with the sector representative body, Community Pharmacy England (CPE). Advanced notice of the change was provided to contractors by letter and in an article published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
The Department sets out the terms for remuneration for pharmacy and appliance contractors in England in the Drug Tariff, which the NHSBSA is required to follow. The Drug Tariff outlines that contractors must submit claims for payment for Pharmacy First consultations within the permitted grace period. We would expect contractors to have standard operating procedures in place to ensure claims are submitted promptly. The Department does not hold data on the number of Pharmacy First claims which were not submitted in accordance with the Drug Tariff. The Department recognises the importance of ensuring pharmacy contractors are paid promptly and we are committed to making improvements where possible. That is why we have recently moved more service payments to the early advance payment to assist with contractors cashflow.
The Department will continue to work with the NHSBSA and CPE recognising where improvement can be made to get the best outcomes for patients, pharmacies and the NHS.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason business rates treatment is different for community pharmacies and (a) GP and (b) NHS dentist surgeries; and whether his Department plans to extend business rate reimbursements to community pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Community pharmacy, general practice and National Health Service dental surgeries all play a vital role in delivering our Neighbourhood Health Service offer for communities across the country. They are treated differently in relation to business rates because GP practices and most NHS dental services have their premises costs reimbursed under NHS contracts, whereas community pharmacies are treated as retail businesses and do not have a comparable, automatic reimbursement mechanism for business rates.
That difference in this treatment is rooted in how each service is commissioned, contracted, and classified. Community pharmacy have been afforded support through the business rates relief for retail, hospitality or leisure which is not provided for general practice or dental surgeries. From 2026, this relief is being replaced by two lower business rates multipliers for properties with a rateable value below £500,000.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Think Pharmacy First campaign on helping to encourage people use pharmacies for treatment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Pharmacy First advertising campaign has now been run on several occasions. Data collected from the campaign run from November to December 2024 showed an increase in public knowledge that pharmacies can treat ‘Pharmacy First’ conditions, from 71% to 79%, and trust in the advice given by the pharmacy team increased from 61% to 70%. Public intention to use the pharmacy if they experienced any of the Pharmacy First conditions increased from 32% to 37%.
This positive shift in people’s attitudes is reflected through an increased use of the Pharmacy First service. There were 198,794 completed clinical pathways in October 2024, the month before the advertising campaign. This increased to 259,323 completed clinical pathways during December 2024.
A second public advertising campaign on Pharmacy First ran from 20 October 2025 to 4 January 2026. Evaluation of this most recent campaign is underway.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending business rates reimbursements to community pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Government took the hard choices to protect the National Health Service in England and to continue to prioritise reducing waiting times. We have also stepped in to cap bills and help businesses, as part of a £4.3 billion support package.
This year, we have also increased funding to community pharmacies to almost £3.1 billion, the largest uplift in funding for any part of the NHS across 2024/25 and 2025/26.
The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to extend business rates reimbursement to community pharmacies on the same basis as GP practices and NHS dental surgeries.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Government took the hard choices to protect the National Health Service in England and to continue to prioritise reducing waiting times. We have also stepped in to cap bills and help businesses, as part of a £4.3 billion support package.
This year, we have also increased funding to community pharmacies to almost £3.1 billion, the largest uplift in funding for any part of the NHS across 2024/25 and 2025/26.
The Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27 shortly.