DHSC guidance for PNA development
Last month, the Department of Health and Social Care updated its information pack for local authority Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) on Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments (PNAs).
The information pack aims to support local authority HWBs, practically, in understanding and implementing the requirements of the relevant legislation, and developing, in consultation with stakeholders, including the Local Pharmaceutical Committee and NHS pharmacy owners in the area, a (usually revised) PNA. It is also beneficial to LPC teams involved in assisting HWBs with the development of PNAs.
The revised information pack:
- Updates information on distance selling premises (DSP) pharmacies.
- Updates information on pharmacy opening hours, for example, changes to the requirements on 100-hour pharmacies.
- Includes more advice on ‘Identifying gaps and articulating future needs, improvements, or better access‘. For example:
It is not sufficient simply to say that there is a gap. The PNA must state:
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- what is required to meet the need, considering whether this is one service or a range of services
- when the service is required, at what times, and/or on what days
- where the service is required, at a specific location or in a general area
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- Includes more advice on ‘Updating of PNAs and supplementary statements‘. For example:
Subject to parliamentary approval, it is anticipated that a change will be made to the 2013 Regulations on 1 October 2025, making it clear that, with one exception, a supplementary statement must not provide (and even if they do provide, they must not be read as providing) a new analysis of service provision.
[These regulations have been laid before parliament and come into force on 1 October 2025, see here.]
Many local authority HWBs will be issuing revised PNAs on or around 1 October 2025, and the changes relevant to this are likely to be already well-known to those finalising these PNAs.
