Contractors interested in running a Covid-19 vaccination site away from their pharmacy should check NHS England (NHSE) websites ‘regularly’ as more opportunities are commissioned, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has advised.
NHSE has already invited community pharmacy and GP sites to sign up to provide vaccinations at their registered premises.
But where commissioners have identified a need for ‘further provision’, further fixed site services and/or outreach services will be commissioned through a ‘competitive procurement’ process.
Under the new process, announced last week, NHSE regional teams will work out where additional services are needed.
Opportunities will then be posted on the Contracts Finder and Find a Tender websites.
‘Pharmacy owners who are interested in expressing an interest may need to review these websites regularly to check for opportunities,’ CPE said in a notice on its website.
More details of each opportunity, including the deadline to apply, will then be set out in an invitation to tender (ITT) on the Health Family Portal.
If contractors see an opportunity that they feel they can meet the requirements of, they can register to use the portal and express their interest before the deadline set out in that posting.
‘Procurements may be run at any time before 31 March 2026, according to the need for further provision of the service,’ CPE said.
‘Pharmacy owners may submit Tender Responses for any and all opportunities for which they wish to be considered,’ it added.
NHS England will be entitled to inspect premises used for vaccinations sites to check their suitability but organisations will be notified of this in advance.
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