COVID-19 Claim Countdown: Two weeks left
THIS CONTENT HAS NOW EXPIRED
Community pharmacy contractors have until 23.59 on 15th August 2021 to claim for the extra costs they incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is important that no contractor misses out on this opportunity, so please begin thinking about your COVID-19 costs and gathering evidence for them as soon as possible so you have adequate time to complete the claim form.
Contractors should be aware that the £370 million Advance Payments given to the sector last year will be recovered from all community pharmacies, even those who do not make a COVID-19 costs claim.
What you need to know
Contractors can claim for specific categories of COVID-19 related costs incurred between 1st March 2020 and 31st March 2021 for the delivery of NHS pharmaceutical services. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has set out four categories that can be claimed for as follows:
- Additional staff costs due to COVID-19;
- Costs incurred to make premises COVID-19 secure;
- IT and communication costs to support remote working and virtual patient contact due to COVID-19; and
- Notified closures for infection control purposes (maximum 14 days).
The NHSBSA claim form asks contractors to set out their costs according to these categories and to indicate the evidence they have for them. DHSC has not set out detailed evidence requirements so this will need careful thought, particularly as contractors will also need to provide documentation to evidence their claims should the NHSBSA ask to see it. Contractors with two or more branches will be able to submit a single claim for all their premises.
More information and PSNC guidance can be found at: cpe.org.uk/COVIDcosts
What to do
Once you have all the information and evidence you need, complete the agreed claim form provided by the NHSBSA:
NHSBSA webpage and claim form for COVID-19 costs
Your completed form must be sent to nhsbsa.covidclaims@nhs.net by 23.59 on 15th August 2021.
Contractors will receive an automated reply from NHSBSA to confirm their submission has been received. Please retain a copy of this reply as evidence of your submission.
