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Local EHC services to be decommissioned - as national service commences.

17/11/2025

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In response to the inclusion of the Emergency Hormonal Contraceptive (EHC) Service in the National NHS England Pharmacy Contraceptive Service from 29 October, Gateshead Council and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (who commission South Tyneside Council's Service) will no longer be commissioning this service from Gateshead and South Tyneside pharmacies. All pharmacies that were providing this service under the local contracts should now providing this service under the NHSE contract, and therefore there will be no break in service provision for patients.

In order to enable a smooth transition for pharmacies from the local to the national service, the local service module will remain live until 30th November 2025.
From 1st December the local EHC modules will be switched off.

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World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week: 18th-24th November 2025

15/11/2025

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Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework -
Little Bug Buster Campaign.

Ahead of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2025, which runs from the 18th to the 24th of November, community pharmacies should have already received posters and information about the Little Bug Busters campaign. The campaign is a NENC initiative aimed at engaging families, schools and early years settings to promote infection prevention and reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in children. This campaign, agreed by the ICB, is a required part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for pharmacies and links in to World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2025.

For further information on how community pharmacy can get behind this campaign please click here to see the briefing

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Vaccination Services - COVID / FLU National Booking System Issues

28/10/2025

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This message is for all pharmacies offering NHS Vaccination Services
Following the start of the vaccination season we would like to make contractors aware that the National Booking System (NBS) is only a booking system with no triage controls. It does not filter patients by age or conditions. It is purely a booking system. It relies on patients making a declaration that they are eligible whilst booking. Essentially it allows anyone to book. We would like to remind contractors that they must clinically check the eligibility of all patients for either vaccine. Flu or Covid.

Full details of the eligibility can be found in the service specs.
Covid
(Please note this has changed from last autumn and now mirrors the spring campaign)
Over 75 Years of age
lives in a care home
Immunosuppressed (as defined in the green book)

We understand that pharmacies are having to deal with extra workload to deal with disappointed patients and we have made strong representations to the local and national teams about this extra unfunded workload. The LPC’s are concerned that if vaccines are given to the wrong cohort as as result of the NBS pharmacies may be subject to Post Payment Verifications later down the line so would urge contractors to ensure their teams are ensuring the correct eligibility is being adhered to. We understand that pharmacies have made a significant contribution to this year’s campaign in the first couple of days and are proud they are making a difference.

Whilst we understand the problems the NBS has caused and heightened patients expectations it has created we are really keen that pharmacies continue to provide an excellent service with in the parameter of the service specification.

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South Tyneside Council / Waythrough Supervised Consumption Tariff Increases by 25%

24/10/2025

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The LPC has been working with South Tyneside Council and Waythrough (formally Humankind) and are pleased to announce that from the 1st October 2025 an increase of 25% (plus annual inflationary uplifts) on tariff fees paid for drug supervision services will apply.
Service Current Tariff. New Tariff
Sup. Con. - Methadone £2.22 £2.78
Sup. Con. - Buprenorphine £ 3.32 £4.15

This will be applied automatically through PharmOutcomes and backdated to the 1st October. Waythrough are currently preparing a new SLA to reflect this agreed increase and this will be shared with contractors in due course.

The Council and Waythrough understand the important role that community pharmacy teams play in supporting some of our most vulnerable residents and the extremely difficult financial situation that exists in community pharmacy at the moment.
Commenting on the increase in fees, Dave Carter, LPC Chair said
“We are really pleased that both the Council and Waythrough understand the important role that community pharmacy teams plays in substance misuse with these vulnerable patients; and the extremely difficult financial situation that exists in community pharmacy at the moment. This increase goes a long way towards covering community pharmacy costs for this service and I’m sure will be welcomed by contractors providing it.”

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Council / ICB Flu services 2025/26

22/9/2025

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Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council and Integrated Care Board (ICB) Flu vaccination service

As in recent years, for 2025/26 PSNE Ltd has built a flu vaccination programme for eligible staff of Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council and the ICB. The service is open to all pharmacies across North East and North Cumbria. Eligible staff from one area can visit a pharmacy near to their home in a different area and still obtain their employee funded flu vaccination.

For clarity the organisations that will be able to use the service are as follows.
Gateshead Council
South Tyneside Council
North East and North Cumbria ICB
The service will be managed and operated through PSNE via a contract variation. A new module will appear on PharmOutcomes where you'll be able to download the contract variation and sign up. Please look for this new module, which will be titled: PSNE Flu Service - 2025/26 - Contract Variation.

If you are employed by a multiple, PSNE Ltd will be in touch with your regional or head office to handle the sign-up process on your behalf. Please check with your line manager or head office to confirm if your pharmacy has been enrolled to provide this service.

Once PSNE has received a completed contract variation, the necessary PharmOutcomes consultation modules will be made available to you. These modules will allow you to record administered vaccinations and will guide you on the specific evidence required for each organisation.

We will also add your pharmacy to the PSNE website, which employees will use to find a participating location.

To help you familiarise yourself with the service, we have summarised some important details below. Please take a few minutes to read this information carefully.

PSNE Flu vaccination service

Regional Pharmacy Network
By signing up for this service, you will join the PSNE Flu Pharmacy Network. This network will be offered to councils and other organisations that seek flu vaccination services. Any new organisation that joins will be able to direct their employees to any pharmacy within the network.

Organisations signed up to date
This service has been commissioned by
Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council, and the North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).

We'll let you know as other organisations join the scheme. Please keep an eye on your PharmOutcomes messages for these updates.

Pharmoutcomes 
PharmOutcomes will be used for both claiming the service and guiding you through the specific registration information required by each council and organisation. Employees will need to present ID from their organisation and you will need to record their work area / dept within Pharmoutcomes.

Fees
Fees are detailed in the service specification.

PGD and Insurance
This service will operate under your own private Patient Group Direction (PGD). It is your responsibility to ensure you have a private PGD in place.
If you also choose to deliver off-site clinics, you must ensure that your PGD and insurance provide appropriate coverage for that work. You will be asked to confirm to PSNE, the councils, the ICB and any other organisations through a question on PharmOutcomes that you have the necessary coverage.

Walk-In / Appointments
Eligible employees will be advised to contact the pharmacy directly to ask about service details, such as whether appointments or walk-ins are offered, and to confirm vaccine availability.

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EHC Services - Update Fee Increase South Tyneside & Future Funding Repurposing ST & GH

27/6/2025

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EHC Services - South Tyneside

We are pleased to announce that South Tyneside commissioners have also approved an increase in the EHC consultation fee to £21.36, mirroring the recent change in Gateshead. This arrangement required a bit more time to finalise, as the commissioning landscape in South Tyneside is slightly more complex, involving multiple commissioners including SST Foundation Trust working in partnership with the South Tyneside Council.

This change will start on the 1st July for any providers in South Tyneside.

This is great news! However, the LPC acknowledges this will be a temporary measure until the national service, which doesn't have a confirmed operational start date yet. Until then, the current local service will continue at this new rate.

Repurposing of Sexual Health Funding - Gateshead & South Tyneside

We've had productive discussions with Gateshead and South Tyneside Commissioners about the funding for the EHC service once it goes national. Both have confirmed their commitment to keeping these funds within Community Pharmacy. As a result, we're exploring new sexual health services that could be provided through Community Pharmacy and will share updates soon. Please contact the LPC if you have any ideas or comments to contribute to these discussions.

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End of NHS Spring COVID Booster Campaign - Pharmacies need to provide Information to SVOC

20/6/2025

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The NHS Covid Spring Booster campaign came to an end on the 17th June. Pharmacies involved in the campaign will have received an email from SVOC requesting them to complete certain tasks including completing a close down form for the campaign.

This is just a reminder for pharmacies to look out for this email from SVOC and ensure you comply with the requirements contained within it as soon as possible.

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Pharmacy First - Urgent Medicine Supply - Controlled Drugs

30/5/2025

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The LPC would like to remind pharmacies about controlled drugs within the Pharmacy First Service.

The urgent medicines supply strand of the Pharmacy First service follows the same rules and legislation as any other emergency supply.

A referral from NHS 111 does not automatically indicate that an emergency supply is appropriate; that is for the pharmacist to determine. Pharmacists who receive referrals for urgent supplies should use their professional judgement to determine whether an emergency supply is appropriate and legal to make. If it is not, the patient may need to be escalated to the GP OOH service or signposted to their own GP practice. Particular care should be taken when deciding to supply any medicine that has a potential for misuse.

The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMR) set out the maximum quantity of a POM that can be supplied as an emergency supply. Professional judgement should be used to supply a reasonable quantity that is clinically appropriate, particularly where the requested medicine is liable to misuse.

To make sure urgent medicines supplies for Controlled Drugs are provided appropriately, please remember that:

Emergency supplies of Schedule 2 and Schedule 3 Controlled Drugs are not permitted by the HMR, with the exception of phenobarbitone or phenobarbital sodium for the treatment of epilepsy;
Temazepam, gabapentin, pregabalin and tramadol are all Schedule 3 Controlled Drugs. Emergency supplies of these medicines are not allowed and so they cannot be supplied via the service;
Medicines such as benzodiazepines, zopiclone, and zolpidem are Schedule 4 Controlled Drugs. Up to five days’ treatment may be supplied, if it is clinically appropriate and after an assessment has been made of the risk that the patient is using the service to inappropriately gain additional supplies;
Medicines such as dihydrocodeine and codeine containing products (including co-codamol 30mg/500mg) are Schedule 5 Controlled Drugs. Up to five days’ treatment may be supplied if it is clinically appropriate and after an assessment has been made of the risk that the patient is using the service to inappropriately gain additional supplies.
Where the legislation does permit an emergency supply, it limits the supply to a maximum of 5 days for Controlled Drugs;

Further Information can be found on the CPE Webiste

https://cpe.org.uk/national-pharmacy-services/advanced-services/pharmacy-first- service/pharmacy-first-service-faqs/

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Gateshead Council Public Health Services - Tariff Increases

20/3/2025

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Your LPC have been working in collaboration with Gateshead Council and are pleased to announce that from 1 st April 2025 Gateshead Council are increasing tariffs offered for the following Primary Care Services:
Service   Current Tariff.   New Tariff
EHC £11.26   £21.36
Sup. Con. - Buprenorphine.     £2.23 £6.04
Sup. Con. - Methadone £2.16 £3.74
NRT 1st Supply   £3.50   £5.48
NRT 2+ Supply £1.30 £2.36

Also, from the 1 st April 2025, the Council is strengthening the provision of Dual Screening (currently offered as an add on to the EHC Service), so those delivering EHC can advertise Dual Screening kits to all and supply to anyone who ‘Asks for a Dual Screen’ in store. A payment of £1.74 will be made for every Dual Screening kit supplied. The Dual Screening module will go live on PharmOutcomes for participating pharmacies on the 1 st April.
Note on NHS Health Checks: Currently there are no Gateshead pharmacies undertaking Health Checks. They were last actively provided prior to the COVID19 pandemic. Given the requirements for Health Check delivery (staff training, Point of Care Testing equipment maintenance etc) any pharmacy wishing to start, or resume providing Health Checks can contact the council via Helen Bell ([email protected]) or Jenny Steel ([email protected]) to discuss service requirements in the first instance. These NHS Health Checks still attract a fee of £40.

Dave Carter, LPC Chair said

“This is incredibly good news for our contractors in Gateshead who are all suffering from the financial crisis that is currently engulfing our sector.
While locally commissioned services are a smaller part of overall pharmacy contractor income, nevertheless, they are critical to patient care and wellreceived by the public and patients.
We know the sector is eagerly awaiting the results of the national negotiations on the Pharmacy Contractual Framework, which we hope will stabiles the sector as stated by government ministers, however in the meantime this increase in local investment is a welcome boost.
For contractors in South Tyneside, negotiations are still on going with the commissioners and we hope to report back as soon as we can.”

Colleen Britton - Gateshead Council said

“ Community pharmacies are vital hubs in our community, uniquely positioned to deliver essential public health services. We deeply value their role as key partners in reaching residents who might otherwise miss out on crucial healthcare support.
The council is keen to support Primary Care Services that support choice and. recovery within the community.
The LPC provided compelling evidence of the costs incurred by Community Pharmacy in delivering these Primary Care Services and this enabled us to increase the fees. I’m pleased to confirm that the Council, will increase the tariffs above on the 1st April 2025 as negotiated with LPC.”

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ACTION NEEDED - PNA Surveys - PNA Questionnaires (Pharmacy and Public)

8/1/2025

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Your LPC is currently working with our colleagues in Gateshead and South Tyneside Councils to develop the latest Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA.)

Pharmacy Contractors will need to fill in a PNA for the council area they are in. Could all contractors please complete the PNA as per the instructions below for your area.
This is a statutory document to assess the extent/provision of pharmaceutical services across the area and is used as the market entry document when assessing potential new pharmacy services. It is therefore very important that up-to-date information is provided to give an accurate picture of the current services

Gateshead

Pharmacies
The PNA survey for Pharmacies is open for 6 weeks and closes on 19th January 2025.
The survey is a Microsoft Form. We would recommend that you complete the survey in one sitting, however, should you wish to fill parts of the survey in on different occasions until it is complete, once you’ve entered the initial information you want to provide, please go to the last page of the survey and ‘Submit’ the form. You will then see a button to ‘Save my response to edit’. This will save the Form to your Microsoft account (to find it, open Forms in your Microsoft account and then select ‘Filled forms’). You can then edit the form as many times as you need to until the survey closing date. If you do not already have a Microsoft account, you will be able to quickly create one for free. Complete the survey at https://forms.office.com/e/HCSzWF07n1
Public
The PNA Survey for the public is a single page document , which we would ask you to make available to your customers. If possible, we suggest printing 10 black and white copies initially and placing them on your counters, recommending them to customers while they wait. The deadline for completion of the public survey is also 19th January 2025. Please post any completed forms to the public health team:
Seani Cole
Public Health Intelligence Analyst
Gateshead Council
Civic Centre, Gateshead, NE8 1HH
E: [email protected]

South Tyneside
Pharmacies
The PNA survey for Pharmacies in South Tyneside is available as a Pharmoutcomes module. This module should now be available under the services section. The deadline for this is 19th January 2025.
Public
In South Tyneside the Council is running the public surveys themselves and they will be circulated in due course.

As an LPC we would encourage all contractors to ensure they fill in their PNA survey, to ensure that accurate information is captured for the the forthcoming PNA.

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News

Local EHC services to be decommissioned - as national service commences.

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week: 18th-24th November 2025

Vaccination Services - COVID / FLU National Booking System Issues

South Tyneside Council / Waythrough Supervised Consumption Tariff Increases by 25%

Council / ICB Flu services 2025/26

EHC Services - Update Fee Increase South Tyneside & Future Funding Repurposing ST & GH

End of NHS Spring COVID Booster Campaign - Pharmacies need to provide Information to SVOC

Pharmacy First - Urgent Medicine Supply - Controlled Drugs

Gateshead Council Public Health Services - Tariff Increases

ACTION NEEDED - PNA Surveys - PNA Questionnaires (Pharmacy and Public)

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