NHS England » Approved Particulars – notification of a hub and spoke arrangement

The below outlines the requirements to fulfil paragraph 7A(6)(a) of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, as amended.

The effective date for these approved particulars is 1 October 2025.

Approved Particulars

A notice of intention to enter into a hub and spoke arrangement must be submitted to the integrated care board (ICB) area by the Spoke NHS contractor (hereafter referred to as the Spoke) where its pharmacy or pharmacies are located, with not less than 28 days’ notice (unless the ICB agrees an earlier date before the arrangement commences). A valid notice of the intention to enter into a hub and spoke arrangement with a Hub subcontractor pharmacy (hereafter referred to as the Hub) must, as a minimum, include the following:

1. The Spoke’s:

a. name
b. trading name (if applicable)
c. address
d. ODS code (also known as the F code)

2. The Hub’s:

a. name
b. trading name (if applicable)
c. GPhC premises number
d. address of the site(s) where dispensing activity, assembly or part assembly will take place
e. ODS code (also known as the F code) – if the Hub is an NHS pharmacy contractor with an F code

3. A declaration by the Spoke that core dispensing functions (note 1) are to be subcontracted under a written hub and spoke arrangement with the Hub that include:

a. a comprehensive statement of the responsibilities of the Spoke and the Hub for the core dispensing activities
b. provision for the Hub to assemble or part assemble patients’ prescribed medicines that will be dispensed/supplied at or from the Spoke. The arrangements must not allow the Hub to fulfil the order directly to the patient
c. a data sharing agreement between the parties, setting out the prescription data that will be shared between Spoke and Hub (and that the data must be in accordance with the relevant NHS England information standard once it is published)
d. a clear exit clause so that the Spoke can discontinue the hub and spoke arrangement (subcontracting agreement) at the request of the ICB (in addition to any patient safety or commercial grounds either the Spoke or the Hub may have for discontinuing the arrangements)
e. provision that the Hub may not further subcontract any of the core dispensing functions that it performs on behalf of the Spoke
f. confirmation that the Spoke has a business continuity plan that contains provisions specific to the hub and spoke arrangement that will seek to enable it to continue provision to patients/resume provision to patients as required following any temporary or permanent discontinuation or disruption of the service provision by the Hub
g. a requirement for the Hub to co-operate in any investigations by the Spoke, commissioner or regulatory body in relation to any issue or incident arising from the subcontracted functions

Note 1: ‘Core dispensing functions’ means the assembly or part assembly of any prescription item (including bagging and the application of dispensing labels) with a view to the supply of that prescription item in accordance with a prescription, a serious shortage protocol (SSP), a listed prescription item voucher (LPIV), a pandemic treatment protocol (PTP) or a patient treatment protocol group direction (PTPGD).

4. Confirmation that the Spoke has undertaken due diligence in relation to its intention to subcontract to the Hub.

For example: has confirmed that the Hub has suitably qualified and trained staff in place; has confirmed that the Hub has appropriate indemnity cover in place; that the Hub has a business continuity plan in place to reflect the hub and spoke arrangement being entered into.

5. Confirmation of the earliest date on or after which the hub and spoke arrangement will commence.

There must be at least 28 days’ notice of commencement (unless the ICB has agreed otherwise.

Contractors should notify their ICB where a hub and spoke arrangement ends or for any temporary discontinuation of services that amounts to a suspension of this arrangement.

Initially, notifications of a hub and spoke arrangement may be made to the ICB pharmacy contract team by email using the attached form. However, this form will be made available in the NHS Business Service Authority (NHSBSA) Manage Your Service MYS portal for these notifications from early 2026. Once operational, wherever possible, the notifications made in relation to a hub and spoke arrangement (starting, ending or being suspended) must be made via the NHSBSA MYS portal. Only on the occasions that this system is unavailable or contractors do not have an MYS sign-on will notification be accepted by email to the email address of their ICB pharmacy contract team as detailed on the pharmacy contract teams web page.