Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has set out a “timeframe” of April to July 2025 to “conclude and implement 2024/25 and 2025/26 negotiations” for the long-awaited community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF).
Under a “draft workplan” for CPE’s services team discussed at a meeting last week (February 5), it shared the timeframe to “deliver an improved contractual framework to address the current funding crisis and secure a stable future”.
Read more: IN FULL: Long delayed funding contract negotiations finally open
CPE today (February 11) told C+D that the item in the 2025/26 workplan – which commences in April 2025 - “relates to work that goes into negotiations, analysis and any necessary implementation work”.
“Implementation work can go on for many months, depending on what is agreed, and work to influence government spending is ongoing,” a spokesperson stressed.
The negotiations for the 2024/25 contract were originally set to conclude 11 months ago in March.
“Community pharmacist prescribing service”
The plan also set out a timeframe of October 2025 to January 2026 to “undertake the 2026/27 negotiations, seeking to achieve improved sustainability of the sector”.
The workplan sets the priorities for CPE in 2025/26 - it remains unclear whether its service development subcommittee approved it at last week’s meeting.
It added that as part of efforts to deliver an improved contract, the negotiator will “engage with development of the NHS 10-Year Plan and input into the government’s spending review” between February and May this year.
Read more: IN FULL: NPA sets out five contract demands - or collective action
And it said that it will “agree a Community Pharmacy Plan with the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) and NHS England (NHSE), with priorities for enhancement of existing services and commissioning of new clinical services - including a community pharmacist prescribing service” - in summer 2025.
The meeting papers also gave a “progress update” on CPE’s 2024/25 workplan to deliver an improved contract, where it originally listed an April to June 2024 “timeframe” to “conclude the 2024/25 CPCF negotiations”.
It said that negotiations are “just re-commencing” and were “delayed by the general election and the economic stocktake that was undertaken by the new government”.
Contract latest
It comes after the DH last month announced it had “entered into consultation with CPE regarding the 2024/25 and 2025/26 funding contractual framework”.
It said the “discussions will set the future direction for community pharmacy as it plays a vital role in supporting delivery of the reforms set out in the government’s plan for change”.
Read more: Contract chaos: NPA issues pharmacy collective action ultimatum
In a joint statement from the DH and CPE at the time, pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock said that he is “confident that together we can get the sector back on its feet”.
And CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said that the negotiator is “relieved that discussions on the arrangements for community pharmacy are now commencing”.
Read more: Streeting and Kinnock say it will be a ‘New Year’ start for pharmacy contract negotiations
Meanwhile, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) last month laid out “five key tests any funding package from government must meet” to avoid historic collective action from pharmacists.
It followed the NPA’s November announcement that 99% of England pharmacy owners who participated in its collective action vote approve of limiting pharmacy services unless funding is improved.
Additional reporting by Kate Bowie
