Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the funding allocated for Pharmacy First has been spent as of 15 January 2025.

Funding for Pharmacy First is drawn from the additional pharmacy funding announced in January 2024, to cover activity delivered across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.

The plan announced additional spend on blood pressure checks, contraception, and the introduction of seven clinical pathways for the supply of prescription only medicines where clinically appropriate.

NHS England and the Department are carefully monitoring the spend on all three elements that make up the full Pharmacy First service, which include minor illness referrals, urgent medicine supply, and the seven new clinical pathways.

Contractors can submit claims up to three months after delivering the activity. The Department therefore cannot provide the data requested.