North West pharmacies invited to apply for RSV and pertussis vaccine service

Some 66 pharmacies in the North West can now apply to deliver the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, under a new NHS England invitation to tender.

It follows an earlier tender of the service in the Midlands region, which closed last month.

Related Article: RSV vaccination sees 30% drop in hospitalisations in older people

The North West tender, published last week, sets out nine defined post code areas across the region in which up to 66 pharmacies can participate.

While both vaccinations are normally provided through general practice and NHS trusts, community pharmacies could be commissioned to deliver the service in areas of identified additional need.

Pharmacy owners interested in providing the service, and therefore wanting to be considered, must respond to the tender by 12noon on Tuesday 6 May 2025.

Related Article: Midlands pharmacies have until Friday to apply for RSV and pertussis vaccination service

The service is anticipated to commence in August 2025 and is expected to continue until 31 March 2027, with a possible extension until 31 March 2029.

Participating pharmacies will be paid an Item of Service (IoS) fee of £9.58 for the administration of each RSV and pertussis vaccine to each eligible patient.

Related Article: Risk groups were less likely to have flu vaccination this year

The defined areas and postcodes listed by NHS England are:

• Liverpool (Postcode areas – L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8, L9, L12, L13, L14, L15, L16, L18 and, L25);
• Knowsley (Postcode areas – L32, L33 and L36);
• Sefton (Postcode areas – L20, L21 and L22);
• St Helens (Postcode areas – WA10, WA11 and WA12);
• Wirral (Postcode areas Group 1 (CH41, CH43, CH44, CH 45), Group 2 (CH46, CH47) and Group 3 (CH48, CH49));
• Blackburn with Darwin (Postcode areas – BB1, BB2 and BB3);
• East Lancashire (Postcode areas BB5, BB9, BB12 and BB18);
• Preston (Postcode areas – PR1, PR2 and PR3);and
• West Lancashire (Postcode areas L39, L40 and WN8).

Last month, a new study found that England’s national RSV vaccination programme had achieved a ‘significant’ reduction in hospital admissions among older people.