Important Updates to the NHS England Pharmacy First Service – Effective 1st June 2025
We’d like to keep you informed about some key updates to the NHS England Pharmacy First Service, coming into effect from 1st June 2025:
- Service Bundling Requirements
To continue receiving the monthly fixed payments, pharmacies must now be registered to provide both the Pharmacy Contraception Service and the Hypertension Case-Finding Service. Distance Selling Pharmacies (DSPs) are exempt from the requirement to deliver the Hypertension Case-Finding Service. However, they must still be registered for both the Pharmacy Contraception Service and Pharmacy First and meet the minimum number of Clinical Pathway consultations to qualify for the monthly payment. - New Banded Payment Structure
The monthly fixed payment will now follow a tiered model based on service activity:- £500 for pharmacies completing 20–29 Clinical Pathway consultations in a month
- £1,000 for those completing 30 or more consultations in a month
- Updated Monthly Consultation Caps
Each month, caps on Pharmacy First Clinical Pathway consultations will be adjusted based on individual pharmacy activity. Please note that any consultations exceeding your monthly cap will not be eligible for the £17 consultation fee.
The June 2025 band assignments and consultation caps are now available on the NHSBSA website.
We encourage all pharmacy teams to review these changes carefully to ensure continued eligibility for payments and to make the most of the Pharmacy First service.