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Changes to opening hours on pharmacy NHS Choices profiles
Community pharmacy contractors have access to manage their NHS Choices profile (see guidance on the NHS choices page). One part of the profile which contractors can amend is the opening hours of the pharmacy. Contractors are advised that amendments made to opening hours should only be undertaken after a successful application or notification has been agreed by the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB). Below is a reminder of the process for making amendments to a contractor’s core and/or supplementary hours.
Amendments to core hours
To make amendments to the distribution of 40 or 100 core contractual hours, pharmacies must make an application to the NHS CB. The NHS CB are required to consider and determine applications within 60 days, and changes, where approved, can be implemented 30 days later (90 days after the application). Once approval and implementation on a change to core opening hours has occurred, pharmacies can make amendments to their NHS Choices profile to accurately reflect their hours of business.
Amendments to supplementary hours
To make amendments to any supplementary hours that a pharmacy is open in addition to the 40 (or 100) core contractual hours, contractors must notify the NHS CB giving at least 90 days' notice of the intended change. There is no requirement for the NHS CB to grant applications for changes to supplementary hours as the pharmacy has the right to amend these hours as they wish, so long as 90 days' notice is given. Once the notice period has elapsed, pharmacies should reflect the changes made and list the revised opening hours on their NHS Choices profile.
PSNC has produced a number of templates for making amendments to opening hours which are available here.
Posted 25 February 2013