The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013

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The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, Paragraph 23 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 09 November 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

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Sch. 4 para. 8(2A)-(2E) inserted by S.I. 2024/894 reg. 4
Sch. 7 para. 6(1A)-(1E) inserted by S.I. 2024/894 reg. 5

Pharmacy opening hours: generalU.K.

This section has no associated Explanatory Memorandum

23.—(1) [F1Subject to paragraph 23A,] an NHS pharmacist (P) must ensure that pharmaceutical services are provided at P's pharmacy premises—

(a)for 40 hours each week;

(b)for not less than 100 hours each week, in the case of premises in respect of which a 100 hours condition applies;

(c)if [F2NHS England] or a Primary Care Trust, or on appeal the Secretary of State, has directed that pharmaceutical services are to be provided at the premises for fewer than 40 hours per week, provided that the person listed in relation to them provides those services at set times and on set days, at the times and on the days so set;

(d)if a Primary Care Trust, or on appeal the Secretary of State, has (under previous Regulations) directed that pharmaceutical services are to be provided at the premises for more than 40 hours per week, and at set times and on set days, at the times and on the days so set [F3, subject to any variation in respect of a rest break in accordance with sub-paragraph (7)(bd)]; or

(e)if [F2NHS England] or a Primary Care Trust, or on appeal the Secretary of State, has directed that pharmaceutical services are to be provided at the premises for more than 40 hours each week, but only on set times and on set days as regards the additional opening hours [F4, or the core opening hours where paragraph 26(4A) applied to the issuing of the direction]—

(i)for the total number of hours each week required by virtue of that direction, and

(ii)as regards the additional opening hours for which the person listed in relation to the premises is required to provide pharmaceutical services by virtue of that direction, at the days on which and times at which that person is required to provide pharmaceutical services during those additional opening hours, as set out in that direction [F5, subject to any variation in respect of a rest break in accordance with sub-paragraph (7)(bd)],

but [F2NHS England] may, in appropriate circumstances, agree a temporary suspension of services for a set period, where it has received 3 months notice of the proposed suspension.

(2) The hours during which pharmacy premises must be open by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) are referred to in these Regulations as “core opening hours”.

(3) P must notify [F2NHS England] of other hours during which P's pharmacy premises are to be open, which are hours in addition to P's core opening hours (and which are referred to in these Regulations as “supplementary opening hours”).

(4) Unless P is a distance selling chemist, at P's pharmacy premises P must exhibit—

(a)a notice specifying the days on which and times at which the premises are open for the provision of drugs and appliances (including times at which P is providing pharmaceutical services during supplementary opening hours); and

(b)at times when the premises are not open, a notice based on information provided by [F2NHS England], where practicable legible from outside the premises, specifying—

(i)the addresses of other NHS pharmacists and the days on which and times at which drugs and appliances may be obtained from those addresses, and

(ii)the addresses of LPS chemists in the area, the type of local pharmaceutical services which those LPS chemists provide, and the days on which and times at which their premises are open.

(5) P must, on request, submit a return to [F2NHS England] setting out—

(a)the days on which and times at which pharmaceutical services are provided at P's pharmacy premises (including times at which P is providing pharmaceutical services during supplementary opening hours); and

(b)the pharmaceutical services which P ordinarily provides at those premises.

(6) Where P changes—

(a)the supplementary opening hours of P's pharmacy premises; or

(b)the pharmaceutical services which P ordinarily provides at those premises,

P must supply [F2NHS England] with a return informing it of the change [F6before the change takes place].

(7) Where P has notified to [F2NHS England] (or, before the appointed day, a Primary Care Trust) the days on which and times at which pharmaceutical services are to be provided at P's pharmacy premises (for example, in a return under sub-paragraph (5) or (6) or in an application for inclusion in a pharmaceutical list)—

(a)P must ensure that pharmaceutical services are provided at the premises to which the notification relates on the days and at the times set out in the notification (unless the notification has been superseded by a return, or a further return, under sub-paragraph (6)); F7...

[F8(ba)P must not change the days on which or the times at which pharmaceutical services are to be provided at those premises during core opening hours, except for making a change that—

(i)amounts to the inclusion of a rest break which is no longer than one hour, or a change to such a rest break—

(aa)on a Monday to Saturday, which starts at least 3 hours after the start of the pharmacy’s opening hours and ends at least 3 hours before the end of the pharmacy’s opening hours, or

(bb)on a Sunday, and

(ii)does not change the total number of P’s core opening hours on a particular day,

otherwise than as provided for, and in accordance with the procedures set out in, paragraphs 25 and 26;

(bb)P must not change P’s supplementary opening hours in a way that reduces the time for which P’s pharmacy is open before or after a rest break on a Monday to Saturday to less than 3 hours (if P wants to change the supplementary opening hours affected by this requirement, P must also change the time of the rest break);

(bc)P must not change—

(i)the total number of P’s supplementary opening hours in a way that either reduces or leaves the same the total number of P’s supplementary opening hours, or

(ii)unless the change relates to an increase of the total number of supplementary opening hours, the days on which or the times at which pharmaceutical services are to be provided at P’s premises during supplementary opening hours,

for a period of at least 5 weeks after the day on which that notification was received by NHS England, unless NHS England agrees otherwise; and

(bd)P must not change the days on which or the times at which pharmaceutical services are to be provided at those premises during core opening hours, in the case of making a change that—

(i)amounts to the inclusion of a rest break which is no longer than one hour, or a change to such a rest break—

(aa)on a Monday to Saturday, which starts at least 3 hours after the start of the pharmacy’s opening hours and ends at least 3 hours before the end of the pharmacy’s opening hours, or

(bb)on a Sunday, and

(ii)does not change the total number of P’s core opening hours on a particular day,

for a period of at least 5 weeks after the day on which that notification was received by NHS England, unless NHS England agrees otherwise.]

[F9(7A) Paragraphs (ba) and (bd) of sub-paragraph (7) do not apply to changes to core opening hours of premises in respect of which a 100 hours condition applies or has ever applied, or in respect of which a direction that replaced (at any distance in succession) a 100 hours condition applies, and accordingly the core opening hours of such premises may only be changed in accordance with paragraph 25 or 26.]

F10(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F11(9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(10) Where there is a temporary suspension in the provision of pharmaceutical services by P [F12because of illness or another reason] beyond the control of P, P is not in breach of sub-paragraphs (1) and (7), [F13or of paragraph 23A(5)(a),] provided that—

(a)P notifies [F2NHS England] of that suspension as soon [F14as practicable, in the manner required by paragraph 29D(2)(a) and wherever possible before the start of the suspension;]

[F15(aa)P uses all reasonable endeavours to implement the business continuity plan that P is required to have by virtue of paragraph 29D; and]

(b)P uses all reasonable endeavours to resume provision of pharmaceutical services as soon as is practicable.

(11) Planned refurbishment of pharmacy premises is [F16not] a “reason beyond the control of P” for the purposes of sub-paragraph (10).

(12) For the purposes of calculating the number of hours that pharmacy premises are open during a week that includes Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday or a bank holiday, it is to be deemed that the pharmacy premises were open on that day at the times at which they would ordinarily have been open on that day of the week.

(13) For the purposes of this Part, “additional opening hours”, where they are required, are hours during which P is required to provide pharmaceutical services pursuant to sub-paragraph (1)(e) which are in addition to the hours during which P would be required to provide pharmaceutical services, if P were subject instead to the condition set out in sub-paragraph (1)(a).

Textual Amendments

F1Words in Sch. 4 para. 23(1) inserted (25.5.2023) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(2)(a)

F2Words in Regulations substituted (6.11.2023) by The Health and Care Act 2022 (Further Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1071), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 1

F3Words in Sch. 4 para. 23(1)(d) inserted (25.5.2023) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(2)(b)

F4Words in Sch. 4 para. 23(1)(e) inserted (25.5.2023) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(2)(c)(i)

F5Words in Sch. 4 para. 23(1)(e)(ii) inserted (25.5.2023) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(2)(c)(ii)

F6Words in Sch. 4 para. 23(6) inserted (25.5.2023) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(3)

F7Word in Sch. 4 para. 23(7)(a) omitted (25.5.2023) by virtue of The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(4)

F8Sch. 4 para. 23(7)(ba)-(bd) substituted for Sch. 4 para. 23(7)(b) (25.5.2023) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(4)

F9Sch. 4 para. 23(7A) inserted (25.5.2023) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(2), 9(5)

F10Sch. 4 para. 23(8) omitted (31.7.2023) by virtue of The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(3), 9(6)

F11Sch. 4 para. 23(9) omitted (31.7.2023) by virtue of The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/479), regs. 1(3), 9(6)