Public holiday guide for pharmacies

PSNC has produced a quick reference guide for the remaining 2021 and all 2022 bank / public holidays to address some of the common queries on the pharmacy terms of service opening hours requirements.

Community pharmacy contractors do not have to open on days which are specifically mentioned in the Regulations (namely Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday) or a day which has been specifically designated as a ‘bank holiday’, unless directed to open by NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I).

Contractors also do not have to give formal notice of closures on these public and bank holidays but must ensure that their Directory of Services (DoS) and NHS website entries are accurate (this is now a terms of service requirement with verification carried out quarterly). If contractors want to reduce supplementary hours on other days, for example, to close early, notice of that intention should be given to NHSE&I at least three months in advance.

For the Christmas and New Year period 2021/22, we would like to draw particular attention to Boxing Day (26th December), which will fall on a Sunday and New Year’s Day (1st January) which will fall on a Saturday. These are both normal working days for pharmacy opening hours (contract hours). In the UK, if a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes the bank holiday instead.

To learn more about pharmacy opening hour requirements read PSNC’s Briefing 018/21: Pharmacy opening hours in the remainder of 2021 and in 2022 .