| Weekly News Digest - 18th December 2025 |
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Christmas Message from Community Pharmacy Thames Valley Team:
"The festive season is around the corner and we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our pharmacy colleagues across Thames Valley. Your dedication, compassion, and commitment to supporting patients throughout the year has been truly inspiring. May this Christmas bring you peace, joy, and well deserved rest with your loved ones. Wishing you a safe and happy festive season and looking forward to continuing our work together in the year ahead." |
| NHSE has published a new joint service specification for the provision of COVID-19 and adult flu vaccinations for the 2026/27 season. COVID-19 vaccinations will become an Advanced service, with fees for both COVID-19 and flu vaccinations uplifted, additional fee for vaccinating housebound patients has been removed. Pharmacy owners will be required to use the National Booking Service for COVID-19 vaccinations, but will be optional for flu vaccinations. Registration for the spring COVID-19 vaccination campaign opens on 5 January, and pharmacy owners must register by 2 February 2026 to guarantee vaccine supplies in time for the start of the spring season. |
| Following public calls to encourage people to get their flu vaccination to be protected NHS England confirms flu vaccines remain available to order via wholesalers or directly from manufacturers, see here for more details. |
| Community pharmacies in North East Hampshire, Farnham, Surrey Heath and East Berkshire are invited to sign up for NHS Frimley’s Winter Minor Ailments Service (Dec 2025–Mar 2026). The service provides free OTC medicines for patients eligible for free NHS prescriptions who may struggle to afford self-care treatments. It aims to support individuals and families facing financial hardship, ease primary-care pressures and improve timely access to care. See here for more information on how to sign up. |
Shape the new pilot training pathway for Early Career Pharmacist prescribers 2026-27Shape the new pilot training pathway for Early Career Pharmacist prescribers 2026-27 From 2026, NHS England will pilot a new education and training pathway for newly qualified Early Career Pharmacist prescribers and are inviting employers, supervisors, learners, Higher Education Institutions and other partners to be part of this exciting journey. The aim is to meet the needs of early career pharmacists and employers, enabling the delivery of high-quality care to patients. Participation will help shape an equitable pathway aligned with service priorities. To register interest and join the conversation, please complete the form by Friday 8 January 2026. |
| The 2025 Pharmacy Pressures Survey showed that more than half of staff experience patient abuse and this is a serious concern for our pharmacies. CPE want to build an updated picture to ensure the voices of pharmacy teams are heard. Please complete this important survey by Thursday, 22nd January 2026. |
Launch of New Resource Library for Early Career Pharmacist SupervisorsThe Early Career Pharmacist Supervisor Resource Library is now live. The library Futures Page has been developed to support supervisors of newly qualified pharmacists. It offers a flexible collection of short courses, training materials, and practical tools to help supervisors. Please note: this resource does not include content related to designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) supervision or clinical supervision assurance of practice. |
| NHSE would like your feedback on the Booking and Referral Standard (BaRS), focusing on Pharmacy First referrals from GP practices and other NHS services. The quick snap poll will only take 3 minutes and will help NHSE understand referral patterns, highlight challenges such as incorrect electronic referrals, and inform improvements to digital referral processes and BaRS. Complete the survey here. |
| Download the latest edition of the BOB Medicines Optimisation newsletter. |
| We value the insight and experience of our pharmacy contractors. As we prepare for the upcoming LPC committee meeting, we invite you to share your views, concerns, and ideas to help shape the discussion. We have put together a short set of questions for you to share your views. |
| Please remember it is part of the Terms of Service to update your pharmacy information on NHS Profile Manager by 31st December 2025. |
Monthly Deadline TrackerStay on top of your schedule with ease using our Monthly Deadline Tracker. This December edition is designed to keep you organized and help you meet your deadline effortlessly. |
| Stay informed with the Pharmacy Academy podcast channel, a great source for weekly updates on essential pharmacy topics, powered by insights from NHS, CPE, and PGD guidance and AI generated for clarity. Stay connected, enhance your expertise, and dive into key pharmacy discussions—all in one place. |
Tune in to this week's podcast |
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| We are delighted to invite Slough contractors to an upcoming Slough Community Pharmacy Neighbourhood Workshop bringing together local partners and pharmacy colleagues to shape the future of neighbourhood healthcare for Slough. This event will provide a valuable opportunity to connect with stakeholders from the Slough area, including representatives from substance misuse, public health, sexual health, and clinical directors. 📅 Wednesday, 25th February 2026, 7-9pm 📍 Copthorne Hotel Slough-Windsor, Cippenham Lane, Slough, SL1 2YE 📋 Register Here |
| Training on giving media interviews and handling the press is being offered to pharmacy owners, team members and LPCs to help build confidence when engaging with journalists and giving interviews. Upcoming sessions: Mon 26 Jan 2026, 7.30–9pm (online) Tue 10 Feb 2026, 7.30–9pm (online) See here for full details. |
| This year’s Teach and Treat programme tackles workforce challenges directly, delivering supervised, hands on clinical training for community pharmacists aligned with local service needs. By supporting independent prescriber training and building a sustainable supervisor pipeline, Teach and Treat equips community pharmacists with the skills and confidence to deliver safe, effective patient care. These developments expand clinical role potential, improve patient access, and ease NHS pressures—key steps in transforming community pharmacy for the future. Further details are available on NHSE website. |
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