This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
NHS to extend pharmacy flu vaccination scheme
NHS England and pharmacy leaders are discussing the possibility of renewing the national pharmacy flu vaccination contract for a second season, despite concerns the programme has contributed to a fall in uptake of the vaccinations.
According to Pulse, pharmacy leaders are looking for a renewal of the contract ‘as soon as possible’, while NHS England has maintained the arrangements would be announced ‘in the next few weeks’. However, GP leaders have argued that the contract should not be renewed if it has not improved uptake because of the risk that it would further destabilise the programme delivered by GP practices.
The contract was originally introduced last September and involved issuing funds to pharmacists across England to provide flu jabs as part of the annual NHS flu vaccination campaign. The campaign was aimed at targeting hard to reach recipients such as working-age adults.
Nonetheless, official figures suggest the uptake of the vaccination has fallen across the country with the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) warning the programme has disrupted established flu clinics and cost practices as much as £4 million in lost vaccine payments.
In a statement, Alastair Buxton, director of NHS Services at PSNC said: “We hope that the community pharmacy flu vaccination service will be recommissioned for the 2016/17 flu season.
“We are pressing for an NHS and Department of Health decision on this as soon as possible.”
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