The government’s package of measures to support people who have been shielding since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, including the community pharmacy pandemic delivery service, will continue until August 31 in three areas of England.

The service was due to be shelved at the end of July, but concerns over localised outbreaks of the virus have prompted the government to prolong it for shielded patients living in Leicester, Blackburn with Darwen and Luton.

The PSNC said contractors in those areas will continue to receive the essential service payment this month, although contractors in all other areas will no longer do so.

“The Terms of Service requirements continue to apply to all contractors in England, but as they only relate to shielded patients living in the three local outbreak areas, it is very unlikely that contractors, other than those located in and close to the three areas, will need to provide support with delivery of prescriptions to those shielded patients,” the PSNC said.

The negotiator said any contractors based elsewhere in England, including distance-selling pharmacies, who want to deliver prescriptions to shielded patients in those three affected areas can do so this month under the terms of the advanced service and submit a claim for payment by September 5 through the Manage Your Service platform.

Amid concerns about a rise in the number of new cases elsewhere in England, the prime minister is reportedly considering the possibility of implementing lockdowns in other regions including London.