GP practices will no longer be required to form a PCN grouping to deliver the Covid vaccination service, NHS England has said.

In a letter to PCNs and GP practices explaining the combined Covid and adult influenza vaccination service specification for 2026/27, Caroline Temmink, director of vaccinations at NHS England, said individual practices would be able to deliver Covid vaccinations from April 2026.

She said: ‘From April 2026, individual practices will be able to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations. They will no longer be required to form a primary care network (PCN) grouping to deliver the service. 

‘We know this will be welcomed by many practices but if practices still wish to collaborate, they will be able to do so in their PCN.’

However, when delivering Covid or flu vaccinations to care home residents, practices will still be required to collaborate with other practices within their PCN.

The letter added: ‘Practices are reminded they must offer vaccinations to those who are care home residents or housebound. Practices that offer one or both of the seasonal vaccination programmes and are a member of a PCN will be required to collaborate with other practices within their PCN to offer those vaccinations to the PCN’s care home residents collectively.’

It added that there will no longer be an additional payment of £10 for Covid vaccination delivery to housebound people.

However, the Covid vaccination item of service fees have been increased to £8.70 per vaccine administered between 1 September 2026 and 31 January 2027, while the flu campaign is underway, and £10.06 outside the flu campaign.

The item of service fee for adult flu vaccination will be £10.06 in 2026/27.

The letter also confirmed eligibility for the spring Covid vaccination service, with those eligible being:

  • Adults aged 75 years and over,
  • Residents in a care home for older adults,
  • Individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a.

Vaccinations will begin from 13 April 2026 and end on 30 June.

The letter added that patient eligibility and start dates for the 2026/27 autumn winter Covid and flu vaccination campaigns would be announced ‘once these are confirmed’.

The specification only covered the vaccination of patients aged 18 and above, with a separate enhanced service specification to be 'published shortly' on flu vaccinations for 2 and 3 year olds and children between 6 months and 18 years who are in a clinical risk group.