This newsletter is sent on Thursdays and contains useful information for community pharmacy contractors, managers and team members across Norfolk & Suffolk.

In this update:

CPE Pressures Survey 2025

Data Security & Protection Toolkit

Upcoming Webinars from CPNS

Local Services Dashboards

N&W 2025 Bank Holiday Expressions of Interest

National HIV testing week resources

CPE & Other Links

Community Pharmacy England has launched its fourth annual Pressures Survey which provides crucial evidence as part of ongoing work to monitor and quantify the intolerable challenges facing the sector.

Taking part in the Pressures Survey supports critical CPCF negotiations and securing immediate investment to ease pressures and calls for stabilising the network. 

The survey is split into two parts: one for pharmacy business owners/head office representatives, and another for pharmacy teams. Both surveys are short and should take about 10-15 minutes to complete. 

They will be open until 23.59 on Friday, 28th February.

CPNS is excited to announce two upcoming webinars designed specifically for Community Pharmacy teams. These sessions will strengthen your knowledge of key parts of the services and equip you with practical tips to enhance their implementation in your pharmacies. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity click on the booking links below to secure your place. 

Note carefully: From April 2025, community pharmacies may be required to deliver a bundle of services to qualify for the current Pharmacy First monthly £1,000 payment; as indicated in the FAQs for the service on the CPE website.

The three services that may be 'bundled' are:

▪ Pharmacy Contraception Service
▪ Hypertension Case Finding Service (webinar above)
▪ Pharmacy First

We do not yet know the details including the thresholds for provision to meet the April 2025 payment; however it is important to be aware of the possibility of the bundling of the three services and that this might involve some minimal activity on each service as opposed to only signing up to the Pharmacy First service, Pharmacy Contraception Service and the Hypertension Case-Finding service.

Local Services Update

All pharmacies in Norfolk and Suffolk should be aware that a letter from CPNS regarding local services was sent last week to all NHS-shared email accounts. This letter included area-specific service guides: one for Norfolk Public Health Services and one for Suffolk Public Health Services.

The guides include the funding amount, how to claim, payment information, how to sign-up, local contact details and website links to help you consider what services you may wish to engage with. 

Pharmacies are advised to read the letter and ensure that all staff are informed about the service guides. 

If you did not receive this communication or have any questions, contact the CPNS team.

Norfolk and Waveney ICB are reviewing our commissioning of Bank Holidays for the coming year. Please can we ask all contractors who are interested in commissioned opening, on the following days, to declare their interest:

• Easter Monday - April 21st
• Early May - May 5th
• Spring - May 26th
• Summer - August 25th

At this time all commissioning, apart from Easter Sunday where we will have a limited amount of allocation, is subject to funding and we are asking contractors for their details to help us plan appropriately.

Expression of Interest

Please can we ask all contractors to complete the form above by Sunday 2^nd February 2025.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us via our inbox, nwicb.nwicb.pharmacy@nhs.net.

February 10th, 2025 is coming and sees the start of the national campaign to promote HIV testing in the community.

Anyone can order a free HIV test from www.freetesting.hiv

What can your pharmacy do?

Pharmacies can promote National HIV Testing Week 2025 using branded resources from Health Promotion England. 

Norfolk pharmacies, if you would like a poster sent directly to your pharmacy, please e-mail ICash Norfolk Outreach Team. 

CPE Links 

Pharmacy First myth-busting article #9

Planned MYS downtime due to essential maintenance

CPCF services and Terms of Service - Important dates

View the earlier advance payment dates for 2025

Amendments to SSPs

January 2025 Price Concessions 3rd Update

Retrospective top-up payments

Other Links

CPPE Update January 2025

NHSE Winter wellbeing support