Community pharmacy-led Covid vaccination sites have administered over 22 million jabs in the last year, according to data from NHS England and Improvement.

The PSNC said the figures show how “pharmacies have been central to the Government’s Covid response".

There was also a 50 per cent rise in the number of pharmacies providing booster jabs between October 2021 and January this year.

“Community pharmacy teams across the country should be proud of the way they have worked hard to set themselves up as COVID vaccination sites, overcoming obstacles around logistics, staffing and safety,” said Alastair Buxton, PSNC director of NHS services.

“Many drew on their experience of providing flu vaccinations, but of course this endeavour was on a completely different scale.

"Just over a year ago we were fighting for Government recognition of the part community pharmacy could play in administering Covid vaccines, so a year later it is great to see the efforts of the pharmacy vaccination sites being praised by NHSE&I, with recognition of the significant role they have played in the overall programme.”

Mr Buxton said the PSNC will continue to press the government for community pharmacies to be involved in any future vaccination programmes.

“The performance of the pharmacy vaccination sites and the wider sector’s amazing flu vaccination performance this year helps demonstrate the way in which community pharmacy could play a much larger role in future vaccination programmes, including any need for ongoing Covid vaccinations,” he said.