Every PCN’s ARRS allocation comes from the same formula: a weighted population multiplied by a national rate per point. The calculator below applies that formula so you can see an indicative annual figure without digging through the DES guidance to find the rate.
The calculator uses the published 2026/27 rate of £27.668 per point of PCN Contractor Weighted Population at 1 January 2026. Our ARRS funding guide explains the allocation, eligible costs, role caps and treatment of underspend.
ARRS allocation calculator
Enter your PCN's weighted population to see an indicative annual ARRS allocation, using NHS England's confirmed 2026/27 rate of £27.668 per point of PCN Contractor Weighted Population.
Your weighted population, not your raw registered list. The two are rarely identical. Your commissioner's allocation letter states it.
What this is. A ready reckoner using the published national rate. Your PCN's exact figure is set out in the allocation your commissioner issues each year. The 2026/27 calculation uses PCN Contractor Weighted Population at 1 January 2026 and is subject to the DES and any approved local variation. For context on what the allocation pays for, NHS England's Network Contract DES guidance sets the maximum reimbursable salary element for an ARRS-funded GP role at £118,759 for 2026/27, or £152,900 including employer on-costs. Caps differ by role.
Published source. The rate is set out in section 10.5.4 of the NHS England Network Contract DES specification 2026/27. Part B guidance publishes a national ARRS total of £1,767,716,000. Reimbursement depends on role eligibility, actual eligible salary and employer costs, the applicable cap and your available allocation. A managed-service fee may include costs that ARRS does not reimburse.
Read the full ARRS funding guide Talk to us about using your allocation
How the figure is worked out
For 2026/27, section 10.5.4 of the NHS England Network Contract DES specification sets the indicative ARRS sum at £27.668 multiplied by the PCN Contractor Weighted Population at 1 January 2026. The published national ARRS total is £1,767,716,000. Your commissioner’s allocation statement and any approved local variation determine the figure for your network.
The same formula sets what an individual network receives. A PCN with a weighted population of 30,000 sits at approximately £830,040 a year. A PCN at 50,000 sits at approximately £1,383,400. NHS England publishes a ready reckoner alongside the DES guidance so networks can sanity-check the arithmetic themselves.
Weighted population is not your registered list
The number the formula uses is your PCN Contractor Weighted Population, not the raw count of patients registered across your member practices. The two are rarely identical, because weighting adjusts for the characteristics of the population you serve.
Your commissioner issues your allocation each year and states the figure it used. It is worth checking that figure against your weighted population directly instead of assuming it tracks your registered list, because a difference between the two changes the allocation materially.
What the allocation pays for
ARRS reimbursement is capped role by role against the network’s total allocation, so the headline figure is a ceiling for the scheme, not a budget for any single post. For 2026/27, NHS England’s Network Contract DES guidance sets the maximum reimbursable salary element for an ARRS-funded GP role at £118,759 outside London, rising to £120,921 with London weighting. Including employer on-costs, National Insurance and pension, the combined maximum reimbursable amount stands at £152,900 outside London and £155,698 including London weighting.
Caps differ by role, so the GP figures above are a reference point rather than a rate that applies across the scheme. Check the current DES guidance for the role you are funding.
What the calculator does not tell you
This is a ready reckoner, not an allocation statement. It gives the indicative annual figure the national formula produces for a given weighted population. It does not account for anything specific to your network: an existing underspend, commitments already made against the allocation, mid-year adjustments, or the role-by-role caps that determine what you can actually claim.
The calculator uses the published 2026/27 rate. It estimates the annual ARRS sum before existing commitments and eligible claims are considered; it does not calculate your unspent balance or guarantee reimbursement of a service fee.
Using the allocation for medicines work
A large share of ARRS spend across England goes on clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and the practical question for most networks is how to turn the allocation into delivered work, not into a vacancy that stays open.
Virtual Pharmacist delivers that work as a managed service. Structured medication reviews, high-risk drug monitoring, discharge and clinical letter reconciliation, prescription signing by our independent prescribers, prescribing queries and quality work are carried out by UK-based, GPhC-registered pharmacists working in your practices’ own clinical systems, across EMIS, SystmOne, Vision and Medicus. Supervision, CPD, indemnity and audit sit with us, under our clinical governance and data security framework. We have supported 375+ GP practices and 88+ primary care networks across England.
Frequently asked questions
What rate does this calculator use?
NHS England’s 2026/27 rate of £27.668 per point of PCN Contractor Weighted Population at 1 January 2026, as set out in section 10.5.4 of the Network Contract DES specification.
Which contract year does the calculator cover?
The calculator covers 2026/27. It uses the published rate for that contract year and the weighted population at 1 January 2026. Check the current specification and your allocation statement before making a funding commitment.
Is this my PCN’s actual allocation?
No. It is an indicative annual sum from the national formula. Your commissioner confirms your allocation, including any approved local variation. Existing commitments reduce the balance available to spend, while role-specific caps and eligible costs determine what you can claim.
Where do I find my weighted population?
Your commissioner’s allocation states the weighted population figure used. It is not the same as the raw registered list across your member practices, and the difference between the two is often material, so it is worth reading the stated figure rather than substituting your list size.
Can ARRS funding pay for a managed clinical pharmacy service?
The Network Contract DES allows eligible roles to be delivered through a third-party organisation, including a remote clinical pharmacy service. ARRS reimbursement depends on role eligibility, actual eligible salary and employer National Insurance and pension costs, the applicable role cap and the PCN’s available allocation. A managed-service fee may include costs that ARRS does not reimburse. Check the current DES and your commissioner before committing funding.
