Emergency/ Unplanned Closure of Pharmacy
Updated South West Temporary Suspension Policy 01 April 2026
The South West Temporary Suspension Policy issued by the SW ICBs has been updated and will be implemented across the South West with effect from the 01 April 2026 and will supersede any previous versions of the policy. A copy of the SW Resilience Guide, display notices to support contractors who have closed and those contractors supporting locally when a contractor has had to close, will be available to access here from the 01 April 2026).
Background
The South West Temporary Suspension of Service Policy was implemented in the region in November 2022. When the policy was originally developed it was agreed it would be reviewed annually. There have been three previous reviews of the policy, with updated versions published July 2023 and April 2024 and 2025. A formal review for 2026 was instigated in November 2025 and concluded in February 2026. The ICBs have liaised with the Community Pharmacy Locals (CPLs) in the South West as part of the policy review process. The final version of the 2026 Policy v5.0 has been agreed with all the South West Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), who have delegated commissioning responsibility for all Primary Care services and was ratified by the South West Pharmaceutical Services Regulations Committee (PSRC) in February 2026.
Aim of the Policy
The SW ICBs recognise the wider community pharmacy network are bearing the impact in areas where there are consistently high volumes of temporary suspensions in service. The policy is intended to reduce the impact of these closures by ensuring contractors act responsibly when managing a temporary suspension and fulfil their contractual obligations to support their patients and local health partners. By working together locally, pharmacy teams will be enabled to manage access for patients and stabilise service provision..
The South West policy describes a set of principles for community pharmacy to follow in managing Temporary Suspensions, including implementing their business continuity plan and demonstrating they have used all reasonable endeavours to resume the provision of services. The policy sets out the approach the South West Pharmaceutical Services Regulations Committee (SW PSRC) takes, on behalf of the SW ICBs, when monitoring and using contractual sanctions in relation to temporary suspension of services in Community Pharmacy across the 7 South West ICBs. This includes issuing breach notices and financial withholdings based on the number of breaches.
If you have any questions regarding the above, then please contact the pharmacy team here england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net
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Updated South West Temporary Suspension Policy 01 April 2026
The South West Temporary Suspension Policy issued by the SW ICBs has been updated and will be implemented across the South West with effect from the 01 April 2026 and will supersede any previous versions of the policy. A copy of the SW Resilience Guide, display notices to support contractors who have closed and those contractors supporting locally when a contractor has had to close, will be available to access here from the 01 April 2026).
Background
The South West Temporary Suspension of Service Policy was implemented in the region in November 2022. When the policy was originally developed it was agreed it would be reviewed annually. There have been three previous reviews of the policy, with updated versions published July 2023 and April 2024 and 2025. A formal review for 2026 was instigated in November 2025 and concluded in February 2026. The ICBs have liaised with the Community Pharmacy Locals (CPLs) in the South West as part of the policy review process. The final version of the 2026 Policy v5.0 has been agreed with all the South West Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), who have delegated commissioning responsibility for all Primary Care services and was ratified by the South West Pharmaceutical Services Regulations Committee (PSRC) in February 2026.
Aim of the Policy
The SW ICBs recognise the wider community pharmacy network are bearing the impact in areas where there are consistently high volumes of temporary suspensions in service. The policy is intended to reduce the impact of these closures by ensuring contractors act responsibly when managing a temporary suspension and fulfil their contractual obligations to support their patients and local health partners. By working together locally, pharmacy teams will be enabled to manage access for patients and stabilise service provision..
The South West policy describes a set of principles for community pharmacy to follow in managing Temporary Suspensions, including implementing their business continuity plan and demonstrating they have used all reasonable endeavours to resume the provision of services. The policy sets out the approach the South West Pharmaceutical Services Regulations Committee (SW PSRC) takes, on behalf of the SW ICBs, when monitoring and using contractual sanctions in relation to temporary suspension of services in Community Pharmacy across the 7 South West ICBs. This includes issuing breach notices and financial withholdings based on the number of breaches.
If you have any questions regarding the above, then please contact the pharmacy team here england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net
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