To mitigate cash flow issues that contractors are facing due to COVID-19, an uplift of £300 million in total over the next two months will be made to contractors’ ‘advance payments’.
The first, of £200million will give the average pharmacy contractor a circa 26% uplift in their 1 April payment* and the second of £100 million will give the average pharmacy a circa 13% uplift in their 1 May payment. **
Pharmacy contractors should note that this uplift will not show on their schedule of payment but the NHSBSA will be sending a letter to each contractor outlining their uplift.
This uplift is not additional funding over and above what was agreed for 2020/21 under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 5-year deal. The uplift will be reconciled in 2020/21. However, the mechanism and the time period over which reconciliation will take place has not yet been agreed with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC).
*different arrangements will apply for pharmacies opening and closing in March.
** different arrangements will apply for pharmacies opening and closing in April.