At a Glance
ESP Guaranteed Minimum Income
Overview
The total of the Establishment Payment plus Dispensing Pool Payment plus Pharmaceutical Needs Weighting Payment made to an Essential Small Pharmacy (ESP) each month are subject to a guaranteed minimum target income of £4,976 for full-time contractors.
The total of these three payments is calculated in the same way as for all other contractors. If the calculated value is less than the guaranteed minimum, a top-up — the Essential Small Pharmacy Allowance (ESPA) — of the shortfall will be paid for the month(s) concerned.
Eligibility for the ESP guarantee requires a contractor to be included on the register of ESPs held by their NHS Board. Contractors taking over an existing ESP must have their continued inclusion in the ESP register approved by the Health Board.
Where an ESP opens for fewer than 30 hours per week, the guaranteed minimum is scaled proportionally based on opening hours — see the table below.
Scaled Guarantee
Part-Time ESP — Guaranteed Minimum by Hours Open
Monthly amounts shown are calculated as the stated percentage of the £4,976 full-time guarantee. Actual payments may vary slightly depending on the individual pharmacy's Establishment, Dispensing Pool and PNWP figures for that month.
Mechanism
How the ESPA Top-Up Is Applied
