Staff Learning and Development Closures for Community Pharmacies
Summary
From 1 October 2026, community pharmacies may close for learning and development (L&D) during core and/or supplementary opening hours. You may take one closure per month, lasting up to four hours, provided all regulatory conditions are met and the closure does not cause avoidable disruption to local pharmaceutical services. Please complete the form here and send to england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net 30 days in advance of the closure.
Eligibility and Conditions for L&D Closures
Closure Limits:
- Maximum one day per month.
- Maximum four hours in that day.
- Must be notified at least 30 days in advance.
Closures cannot be scheduled:
- Within three hours of opening on the first weekday of the week,
- Within three hours of closing on the last weekday of the week,
- On Saturdays,
- On Sundays, or
- For pharmacies with a current or historic 100‑hour condition: between 17:00–21:00 on any weekday.
You must complete all of the following steps before the closure:
- Notify Primary Medical Service Providers
· Inform GP practices and other providers who routinely send emergency prescriptions or directed‑service referrals to your pharmacy.
- Update your opening hours on
· NHS Profile Manager (DoS)
· NHS.UK pharmacy profile
- Display a Public Notice
· A notice must be displayed and visible from outside the premises, where practicable.
· Distance‑selling pharmacies must update their public‑facing website with the closure information.
Even if all conditions are met, a notification for closure might be refused if it would cause avoidable disruption when considered alongside other local closures or service gaps.
How to Notify NHS South West Commissioning Collaborative Hub (SW CCHub)
A local notification form has been created for use in the South West until a time when a formal notification form is made available nationally or the notifications can be submitted through an alternative process (e.g. MYS Portal).
If you would like to notify the SW CCHub of an L&D closure, please complete the attached form and email it to england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net. Please note that you may submit multiple months of planned closures in one notification form.
The SW CCHub team will review your request and confirm acceptance or refusal by email.
Support
For any queries, please contact: england.pharmacysouthwest@nhs.net
