Pandemic delivery service extended amid third Covid-19 national lockdown

Amidst a third Covid-19 lockdown, a list of new Tier 4 areas have begun to receive the benefits of the pandemic delivery service. The unique delivery service extended to new areas following a government’s decision last week will most likely extend nationwide in view of the latest restrictions.

The list of new tier four areas which have already started to receive the pandemic delivery service include Leicester City, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Derby and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, Birmingham and Black Country, Coventry, Solihull, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, and Lancashire.

In addition to the above list, the pandemic delivery service will remain available in Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Tees Valley, the North East, Gloucestershire, Somerset Council, Swindon, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the Isle of Wight, and New Forest.

The service will remain operational February 1 for clinically extremely vulnerable people (CEV) although it can be surmised that this will last throughout the period of the national lockdown.

With the latest announcement, both pharmacies and dispensing doctors across England will be required to ensure shielding patients in these areas can receive their prescription medicines and appliances until February.

Payment claim

Community pharmacy contractors can claim payment for delivery of medicines to patients within the lockdown areas notified in this announcement under the Community Pharmacy Home Delivery Service on the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal.

Contractors must submit their claims for payment via the MYS platform by the fifth of the month after the service was provided.

“Claims for this service will not be accepted after the fifth of the following month. Payment for the essential service will be restricted to pharmacies with a postcode in the lockdown areas notified in this announcement and will be made automatically,” the NHS said in a letter.

Only community pharmacies and dispensing doctors whose premises are located in the lockdown areas notified in this or future announcements will receive the essential/mandatory service payments.

“The terms of service requirements apply to all contractors in England (excluding distance selling pharmacies), but as the only CEV patients that are eligible for support with deliveries are those living in the tier four areas, only contractors located within those areas are likely to provide services to eligible patients on a regular basis,” the Pharmacy Services Negotiating Committee has said.