NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) and the Department of Health and Social Care have agreed to extend the period during which the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) engagement and setup payment for the GP referral pathway may be claimed by contractors. The payment can now be claimed by contractors, once they have undertaken the necessary activities, up until 30th June 2021 (with claims needing to be submitted via the NHSBSA’s Manage Your Service portal by 5th July 2021).

This agreement follows a request from PSNC to extend the period during which a claim could be made, to recognise the impact the COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccination programme is continuing to have within primary care, which has delayed the roll out of the referral pathway in most areas of the country.

Contractors registered to provide the CPCS are able to claim the £300 engagement and setup payment if they undertake a range of actions to get ready for rolling out the referral pathway in their area. The requirements are detailed in Annex F of the updated service specification.