Skip to main content
01274 442076
ARRS funding Underspend: How Clinical Directors Can Get More From Their Pharmacy Teams
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Across England, millions of pounds in ARRS funding go unused every year. For Clinical Directors, PCN Managers, and ICB leads, this isn’t just a financial issue – it’s a missed opportunity to release GP capacity, improve medicines safety, and deliver measurable outcomes.
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (NHS) was created to strengthen primary care teams, yet many PCNs still struggle to use it effectively. Recruitment delays, unclear supervision models, and limited reporting often mean part of the available budget remains unspent.
You can read more about how Core Prescribing Solutions supports PCNs through our ARRS Service – from recruitment to ongoing workforce management.
When structured properly, clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can turn every pound of ARRS funding into better medicines management, lower GP admin, and improved patient outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- Millions in ARRS funding remain unused each year because of recruitment and governance issues.
- Integrated pharmacy teams can release up to 40% of GP time on medicines work.
- Poor utilisation and weak oversight lead to ARRS funding clawback.
- Managed pharmacy models convert budgets into measurable outcomes.
- PCNs that plan strategically strengthen their PCN funding forecast for future years.
Why ARRS funding goes unused
According to NHS England’s ARRS roles guidance, many PCNs fail to spend their full allocation because recruitment, supervision, and reporting take longer than expected.
Typical barriers include:
- Recruitment bottlenecks. Limited supply of qualified clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians often means six-month vacancy periods.
- Supervision pressure. Without a structured model, new staff depend heavily on GPs who already have little capacity.
- Fragmented deployment. Hiring roles in isolation instead of forming coordinated pharmacy teams limits productivity.
- Reporting gaps. Without automated SMR or QOF tracking, it’s difficult to evidence outcomes.
- Budget misalignment. Some PCNs allocate funding without including pension, NI, or training costs, leaving residual underspend.
Repeated underspend can lead to ARRS funding clawback or reduce next year’s PCN funding forecast.
ARRS underspend isn’t about missing money – it’s about missing opportunity. When practices use structured, managed pharmacy models, they don’t just fill posts – they turn funding into measurable results
says Adeem Azhar, Co-Founder and CEO of Core Prescribing Solutions.
Common mistakes when using pharmacy roles
Some PCNs focus on recruitment numbers instead of integration. The result is low ARRS roles utilisation and limited workforce impact.
- Hiring a clinical pharmacist without a pharmacy technician, creating skill mix challenges
- Failing to plan data capture for SMR, IIF, or QOF reporting.
- Treating ARRS as free headcount instead of an operational strategy.
Successful PCNs use structured workforce planning. Our support service helps practices design pharmacy teams that work efficiently and reduce clinical workload across the system.
How to deploy pharmacy teams strategically
Rather than filling roles piecemeal, Clinical Directors can follow a proven model to avoid funding loss and improve outcomes.
Step 1 – Audit capacity
Map your current workload: medication review backlog, repeat prescription volume, SMR completion rate, and GP time on medicines admin.
PCNs that complete this audit first reach full productivity around 50% faster.
Step 2 – Define roles and supervision
Set clear responsibilities for each team member.
- Clinical pharmacists handle structured medication reviews, deprescribing, long term condition management and QOF management
- Pharmacy technicians manage repeat prescriptions, formulary compliance, clinical audits and discharge reconciliation.
Step 3 – Set up outcome tracking
Before deployment, install automated reporting for SMR completion, IIF metrics, QOF changes, and GP time released.
PCNs with live dashboards maintain year-end spend rates above 95%.
Step 4 – Recruit and deploy in 6-8 weeks
Agree the supervision model, recruit through experienced partners, and start patient activity by week 8.
Managed model vs ad-hoc hiring
| Factor | Managed model | Ad-hoc hiring |
| Time to first patient contact | 6-8 weeks | 14-18 weeks |
| Supervision model | Defined | Often unclear |
| Outcomes tracking | Automated | Manual/incomplete |
| Year-end spend rate | 94-98% | 72-85% |
| Staff retention (Year 1) | 90%+ | 60-70% |
| GP workload reduction | 35-40% | 10-15% |
| Clawback risk | Low | High |
Managed models deliver faster results because pharmacy roles are embedded in a coordinated, accountable framework.
The pharmacy team advantage
When clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians work together, each role supports the other.
Clinical pharmacists focus on complex medication reviews and clinical decision-making, while pharmacy technicians manage repeat prescribing and routine queries.
This division allows one pharmacist-technician team to complete 60-80 medication reviews a month – three times more than a pharmacist working alone.
It also strengthens medicines governance through consistent protocols for formulary compliance and safety audits.
Our integrated Pharmacy Technician Support pathway ensures this collaboration runs smoothly and delivers consistent results across practices.
You can also read The Hidden Cost of GP Workload to see how similar teams reduce pressure on general practice.
Three warning signs you’re underusing ARRS funding
- You finish the year with unspent allocation or refunded funds.
- Clinical pharmacists are covering four or more practices without technician support.
- You can’t evidence SMR, IIF, or QOF improvements to your ICB.
If these apply, your PCN may be leaving clinical and financial value on the table – and weakening next year’s PCN funding forecast.
Real-world example: turning underspend into outcomes
A Midlands PCN carried over £180,000 in unspent ARRS funds due to recruitment delays and unclear supervision.
After adopting a managed model with one pharmacist and two technicians:
- 900+ medication reviews were completed in Q1.
- GP medicines admin fell 35%.
- All IIF safety targets were achieved early.
The PCN ended the year with a 97% spend rate and zero clawback risk.
The cost of inaction
Unspent funding represents lost care. Every pound left unused is a medication review not done, a safety check missed, or GP time unreleased.
Learning how to use ARRS funding effectively is essential for PCNs wanting to modernise service delivery and protect future allocations through strong Workforce Solutions and Remote Clinical Teams support.
FAQs
Summary
ARRS funding is one of the NHS’s most powerful levers for workforce innovation.
When used strategically, teams of clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can transform underused budgets into measurable clinical outcomes and reduced GP workload.
The answer isn’t hiring more posts – it’s building smarter systems. Through Workforce Solutions, Remote Clinical Teams, and Pharmacy Technician Support, Core Prescribing Solutions helps PCNs turn ARRS funding into long-term value.
