Community Pharmacy England met in London on 19th and 20th November, with Committee members considering preparations for the next round of Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) negotiations, ongoing financial pressures, winter readiness and other important matters.
Closing the sector’s longstanding funding gap and addressing operational pressures remain the central focus of the Committee. There has been a huge programme of work to make the investment case for the sector ahead of negotiations, to analyse and evidence the financial landscape, to review future funding requirements and to develop clear negotiation principles.
Committee members spent considerable time reviewing principles and objectives for the negotiations, alongside discussing future funding levels, delivery projections for 2025/26, service spends and our wider objectives. Members also explored potential approaches and choices to take into the negotiations, including feedback from CEO Janet Morrison’s recent meeting with the Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, and the possible implications of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan.
In-depth discussions took place on options for a Community Pharmacy Prescribing Service, with the Committee discussing feedback from pharmacy owners and pharmacists involved in the NHS England Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme, as well as updates from recent meetings with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England. Committee members explored possible options for prescribing services and associated governance arrangements and set out what they would want to see in a nationally commissioned service, while recognising that affordability will also need to be considered in negotiations.
This was the first meeting with new interim independent representative Dervis Gurol attending, alongside Has Modi and Mayank Patel, who have been appointed by the Independent Pharmacies Association, following a period as observers.
Other discussions at Committee
The Committee reviewed the current position on retained margin and considered research into alternative options for the future. PA Consulting, an independent consultancy with extensive experience working across Government, also presented two sessions, covering the value and investment case for community pharmacy and facilitated discussions on future scenarios, choices and potential consequences.
Input into the Committee meeting from sector polling continued to highlight the key challenges facing the sector: the funding model remains broken, service delivery and system design are not aligned, and workforce, wellbeing and capacity pressures are ongoing. Owners also indicated that unpredictable revenue streams and workforce costs remain their highest pressures.
Members also heard from Sandra Hanna, CEO of the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (a fellow member organisation of the World Pharmacy Council). Sandra presented the Association’s strategic model and an overview of the pharmacy landscape in Canada including the Canadian funding model. She highlighted pharmacy-led primary care clinics in Nova Scotia as an example of how targeted Government investment can transform patient services provided by community pharmacies.
All subcommittees reported on progress across their workstreams. Specifically, the Service Development Subcommittee (SDS) covered the rollout of recent changes to CPCF services; the Funding and Contract Subcommittee (FunCon) discussed reimbursement and margin issues, the Legislation and Regulatory Subcommittee (LRS) considered new regulatory asks; and the LPC and Contractor Support Subcommittee (LCS) discussed preparations for the Conference of LPC Representatives.
Read more in the full meeting summary:
Briefing 028/25: Summary of November 2025 Committee Meeting
View the results from the polling of pharmacy owners:
Briefing 027/25: What pharmacy owners told us in November 2025
Commenting on the meeting, Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:
“The Committee met at a time when we are preparing for the next round of CPCF negotiations and the sector continues to face serious financial and operational pressures. Closing the funding gap remains our top priority, and we continue to work to influence funding decisions both in the public domain and in meetings and correspondence with Ministers.
“The Committee spent time reviewing the latest financial data, the impact of the Spending Review, and the additional pressures expected this winter. Feedback from pharmacy owners shows high ongoing concern about capacity, resourcing and the challenges the sector faces.
“We were pleased to welcome our new interim independent representative and IPA appointed representatives to the Committee. We also heard about positive developments in Canada, such as pharmacy-led clinics in parts of the country, which highlight what targeted investment and Government support can achieve. It was a useful reminder of what is possible with the right backing.
“Over the two days, the Committee thoroughly examined our negotiation principles, explored future scenarios for the sector, and debated options for new services, including prescribing. This evidence-driven work ensures we enter negotiations with authority, and it enables us to continue making a strong and compelling case for the urgent investment and support that community pharmacy needs.”
Hear more from Janet in her latest blog.
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