Shutterstock.com
NHS England has rejected Community Pharmacy England’s (CPE) claim for compensation for pharmacy owners for the time they spent managing ineligible patients at the start of the winter 2025 COVID-19 vaccination season.
In a briefing document published on 1 December 2025, following CPE’s full committee meeting, held in November 2025, the negotiator said NHS England had responded that “further funding was not available”, citing “the considerable work they had done to improve communications on this matter following CPE’s representations”.
According to the briefing, CPE’s service development subcommittee (SDS) said: “The response on funding is very disappointing, and we will be highlighting this and all other pressures affecting pharmacies in the upcoming [community pharmacy contractual framework] negotiations, as well as in our work to secure uplifts to vaccination fees for future years.”
It noted that community pharmacies are one of the strongest performers in terms of vaccine delivery, particularly in deprived communities.
“Progress needs to be made by both government and NHS England in commissioning an economically sustainable service from community pharmacies,” the SDS added.
The SDS also said that it had asked NHS England to review the design of the national booking service in order to assist with the screening of patients who are not eligible for vaccinations.
Community pharmacy teams have reported abuse from the start of the 2025 winter vaccination season — which began on 1 October 2025 — after ineligible patients were incorrectly able to book COVID-19 vaccinations via the national vaccinations booking system.
Pharmacy staff reportedly had to spend a large amount of unfunded time explaining vaccination eligibility to patients who were often angry at the mix-up.
In a statement published on 3 October 2025, CPE said: “The significant change in the eligibility of patients for COVID-19 vaccination this winter compared with last winter is the key issue that is creating confusion amongst members of the public.
“Many of those aged under 75 years who were eligible for vaccination last winter seem to have assumed that they are still eligible and have booked appointments at pharmacies via the national booking system, despite the wording on the booking system relating to eligibility.”
As a result, CPE said many pharmacy owners reported that “a third to half of patients booked via the national booking system” were not eligible for vaccination, with the regulator adding that it had also received reports from pharmacy owners of ineligible patients being directed to pharmacies by staff at general practices.
NHS England was approached for comment.
