NHS England has said it plans to recruit 50 pharmacies in the east of England to pilot a pharmacy-based RSV vaccination programme. 

Tender documents published by NHSE show that is seeking bids from eligible pharmacies to deliver RSV jabs in the ICB regions of Mid and South Essex and Suffolk and North East Essex, with 25 pharmacies in each ICB to be selected “to ensure an even geographical spread”. 

“The cohort of patients eligible to be vaccinated in a community pharmacy, and who therefore represent the likely activity level under the contract, is eligible older adults and, where included by the commissioner, pregnant women,” said NHSE, which gave a likely start date of September 23. 

Pharmacies will be paid an item of service fee of £9.58 for every RSV vaccine administered to an eligible patient.  

“Although there are no residency requirements on this eligible group of patients, providers should assume an upper ceiling activity level to be the number of eligible patients in the area the provider generally serves,” it added.  

This is described as an early phase of the commissioning of a Community Pharmacy RSV Vaccination Enhanced Service, with a wider roll-out across a larger number of pharmacies to be announced at a later date. 

The enhanced service will continue until March 31 2027, with an option to extend for another 24 months. 

The pharmacy vaccination pilot is intended to supplement the core provision in areas of “identified additional need”. 

A previously announced adult vaccination programme will predominantly be delivered through general practice, and an infant programme “provided as vaccination during pregnancy” will predominantly be delivered through NHS trusts.  

Bids from pharmacies who wish to provide the service within these ICB regions are accepted until midday tomorrow (August 7).