Pharmacy First: Changes to the claim period

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has published a news story, on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, highlighting that from 1st June 2025 pharmacy owners who have not yet claimed for Pharmacy First consultations carried out in March, April and May 2025 must claim these by 11.59pm on 30th June 2025 to receive payment.

This follows the announcement as part of the contractual settlement for 2025/26 that to enable the variable monthly payment for Pharmacy First, the claim window will need to be reduced to one month.

Before 1st June 2025, late submissions are accepted if made within three months of the date by which the claim should have been submitted. From 1st June 2025, late submissions will only be accepted if they are made by the final day of the month following the month in which the Pharmacy First consultation was conducted. For example, claims for consultations provided in June 2025 will need to be submitted by 11.59pm on 31st July 2025. As detailed above, this change from 1st June 2025, also impacts on the claim periods for Pharmacy First consultations carried out in March-May 2025.

Later claims will not be paid, unless the submission of a claim was delayed by IT issues outside the pharmacy owner’s control (such as issues with the NHS approved API system used by the pharmacy owner or with the MYS portal). Such claims will be accepted outside the usual grace period within twelve months of the date by which the claim should have been submitted. This is subject to the NHSBSA receiving evidence of the IT issue, and only if investigation finds that the evidence demonstrates that the IT issue was outside the control of the pharmacy owner, and it delayed the claim submission.