21 September 2026 · The Pharmacist
New neighbourhood health model risks excluding community pharmacy
Proposed new neighbourhood health contract models in England are overly centred on general practice and statutory NHS providers, pharmacy leaders have cautioned. Responding to an NHS England consultation regarding multi-neighbourhood arrangements, the Royal College of Pharmacy highlighted concerns that the developing frameworks risk excluding community pharmacy teams from emerging local health structures.
The professional leadership body stressed that new neighbourhood programmes must complement, not replace or destabilise, existing national contracts for community pharmacy and other primary care disciplines. Sector representatives argue that while integrated working is intended to improve collaboration across primary care, contracting models that focus too heavily on GP surgeries and NHS trusts could undermine established pharmacy networks and service delivery.
Detailed terms regarding the wider consultation and the precise design of the multi-neighbourhood contracts have not yet been fully set out in the initial statement. Nevertheless, the response reflects broader sector concerns regarding how local health integration policies will formally recognise and preserve the role of community pharmacy within primary care.
For UK online pharmacies and associated health brands, the proposals suggest that evolving commissioning frameworks may place greater emphasis on integrated local pathways, though the practical impact remains contingent on how NHS England resolves national contract protections.