hepb vaccinations for course

phoebe03cat

This is not the case 1jim.

My daughter has been told to start the course of injections NOW and the uni will expect proof that she has been immunised ie the blood test result WHEN starting the course. They are only offering to complete the last jab of the course if it really can't be fitted in when she starts uni.(Have just re-read the letter)

I have today just received a further phone call from the NHS themselves who have stated that doctors should NOT be making ANY PROFITS from STUDENTS needing jabs for courses or indeed any FIELD TRIPS etc associated with courses. They should be provided FREE of cost. Mine is now doing it on a prescription (which of course the nhs will pick up as she's under 18 still). I assume full time students over 18 go on to be also exempt from prescription charges?)

The exception is of course when jabs are given for travel reasons when they are free agents to make any amount of profit the market will stand.

She's also not too sure of my doctors reciprocal arrangement with the surgery up the road ; ie refusing to vaccinate their own occupational patients but sending to the other surgery's clinic.

I was told to make my Primary Care Trust aware that this is going on and it will be STOPPED.

This is proving to be a bit of a can of worms........but clearly affecting a lot of people. Martin;- clarification here could save a lot of people quite a bit of money. The callback from the NHS left me in no doubt that for students, necessary jabs should NOT be at doctor's discretion but should be free nationwide. This is clearly not the case.

1jim

fair enougth then
what would I know.... Im only a nurse who provides these immunisations in a nhs facility but charges for them...
I would contact your pct and they hopefully will explain the GP contract system that prohibits your gp from doing this free of charge for occupational and travel reasons

1jim

phoebe03cat wrote: »

I assume full time students over 18 go on to be also exempt from prescription charges?

Not always, they would have to apply for low income exemption

see below from http://www.healthybytes.co.uk/nhs_exemptions.htm

[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]

[FONT=Arial,Verdana]Claiming Free Prescriptions[/FONT]

[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]

[FONT=Arial,Verdana]You can get free NHS prescriptions if at the time the prescription is dispensed you[FONT=Arial,Verdana]:[/FONT]

[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Arial,Verdana]

• are aged 60 or over
• are under 16
• are aged 16, 17 or 18 in full-time[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]education
• are pregnant, or have had a baby in[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]the previous 12 months and have a[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]valid exemption certificate
• have a listed medical condition and[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]have a valid exemption certificate
• have a continuing physical disability[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]which means you cannot go out[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]without help from another person[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]and have a valid exemption[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]certificate
• are an NHS in-patient
• are getting, or your partner gets:
– Income Support
– Income-based Jobseeker’s[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]Allowance (Incapacity Benefit or[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]Disability Living Allowance do not[/FONT] c[FONT=Arial,Verdana]ount, as they are not income [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana]related)
– Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• are entitled to, or named on, a valid[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]NHS tax credit exemption certificate
• are named on a valid HC2 [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana]certificate
• are a war pensioner, the prescription [FONT=Arial,Verdana]is for your accepted disablement and[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]you have a valid war pension[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]exemption certificate.

If you are claiming free prescriptions because of your age i.e.
- under 16 years of age
- 16, 17 or 18 years of age and in full time education
- 60 years of age and over
you will be asked by your pharmacist or dispensing doctor to provide proof of your entitlement to free prescriptions. Your date of birth in many cases will already be printed on your prescription - if you are under 16 or 60 and over, this is all the proof you will need.
If you are 16, 17 or 18 and in full time education, you will also be asked for proof of your education status.
If you cannot provide proof, you will still get your prescription free of charge, but your entitlement will be checked later by the NHS.
Patients claiming exemption from NHS prescription charges for other reasons have been asked for proof of entitlement since 1 April 1999.
Ask your pharmacist or dispensing doctor for advice. Ask for a free leaflet HC11 or download at http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/07/80/85/04078085.pdf
or call Freephone 0800 91 77 711 for more information about free prescriptions.
See the table overleaf for types of proof, which are accepted when exemption is claimed because of age.

People between 16 and 60 who claim free prescriptions will be asked to provide proof that they are entitled to do so.
Which Means that:
[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]You should make sure you have the proof you need before sending us your prescription. Details of who is eligible, what proof they need and where to get it are shown below. [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]You should make sure you enclose the proof with your prescription. [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]If we do not receive the required proof you will still get your prescription but you should be aware that your eligibility will be checked.[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]
[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]You are eligible if you are...[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]The proof you need to have[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]Where and how to get it[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]* under 16[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]any official document showing name and proof of age, including a NHS Medical Card.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a NHS Medical Card is issued when a child is first registered as a patient with a GP. If you need a new card, you should contact your local [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana]Primary Care Trust.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana] [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]note: from July 1999 details of date of birth will be on most prescription forms. In this case, no further proof is needed.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]* between 16-18 and in full time education[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a Child Benefit Order Book or...[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]the Child Benefit centre[/FONT][/FONT]0845 302 144[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana] [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]if no longer eligible for Child Benefit, evidence of date of birth and educational status.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]your school, college, university or local [/FONT][/FONT]e[FONT=Arial,Verdana]ducation [/FONT]a[FONT=Arial,Verdana]uthority can su[/FONT]pply proof you are in qualifying full time education[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]* 60 or over[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]any official document showing your name and date of birth, such as a retirement pension book, driving licence or a NHS Medical Card.
*note: from April 2005 if details of date of birth are automatically printed on the front of the prescription,[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]there is no need for a signature by the patient to claim exemption and no further proof is needed.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a NHS Medical Card is issued when you first register as a patient with a GP. If you need a new card, you should contact your local Health Authority.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]pregnant, or you have had a baby in the last 12 months[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a [/FONT][/FONT]maternity exemption certificate or card (Medex).[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]your GP or midwife will give you a FW8 application form. You should send it to your local Health Authority.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]entitled to medical exemptions[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a [/FONT]medical exemption certificate or card (Medex).[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]your local GP, hospital or pharmacy will give you a FP92A application form. [/FONT]In Scotland EC92A;in Wales FP92W.The form tells you what to do. A certificate/card will be sent to you upon receipt ofa properly completed application form. [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a war or MoD pensioner[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a War Pensions Exemption Certificate.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Write to:The Veterans Agency,Norcross,Blackpool,FY5 3WP[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]entitled to a prepayment certificate[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]a certificate of Prepayment of Charges (FP96).[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]England:Phone 0845 850 0030 (8am to 6pm) to pay by credit or debit card. If paying by cheque use an application form FP95 from your pharmacy or buy online www.ppa.org.uk
[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]in the NHS Low Income Scheme[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]HC2 Certificate for full help with health costs.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana]HC3 for partial remission of NHS charges (from April 2005).Lasts 5 years[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]obtainable via an HC1 claim form, available from a Social Security office or a hospital. Also, ask for booklet HC11. If you think you may qualify for help, send the form in the envelope which goes with the HC1 form.[/FONT] After a pilot in conjunction with RNIB ,completed forms just needing signatures can now be sent out to those in need. Phone 0845 850 1166 for more information.[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]receiving any of the following benefi[/FONT][/FONT]ts[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana] [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]Income Support[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]or your partner is getting this benefit[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Verdana]Job Seeker's Allowance (income-based) or your partner is getting benfit[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Verdana]getting Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or your partner is getting this benefit.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana]your Order Book or[/FONT] an entitlement letter from your Jobcentre Plus office An entitlement letter from your job centre


[/FONT]Your award notice from the Pension Service.
[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Claim at the Job centre. Incapacity or Disability Living Allowance do not count as they are income related. If payments are made into your bank or building society, you can obtain proof in the form of an entitlement letter from your job centre Plus office. If you have lost or mislaid your pension service award notice ,contact the Pensions Service phone line on 0845 606 0265.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]getting tax credits and meeting the qualifying conditions.Or your partner receives tax credits and meets the qualifying conditions[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]A valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate or you can use your tax credit award notice.[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]if you are eligible for free prescriptions,your exemption certificate will be sent to you.If you haven't yet received your certificate,use your award notice.[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Named on a valid HC2 certificate
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]An NHS certificate HC2 for full help with health costs[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Make a claim using form HC1,obtainable from your Jobcentre Plus office or calling 0845 850 1166 or 08701 555 455.you may also be able to get an HC1 from your local hospital, dentist,optician or doctor.[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Verdana][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Verdana] [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]

Call the free Advice line for information and guidance Freephone 0800 91 77 711.

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]</B>

phoebe03cat

Just as well we had it done now then by the look of it while she is both under 18 and in full time education. It didn't seem to stop the surgery demanding £100 though, and no doubt they are not alone, nor the uni from demanding it be started before the start of the course.

If there is a GP contract system clearly prohibiting free jabs (and I am not questioning this), then it should not be the postcode lottery that it is, as no one should get them free. This is not the case.

Interestingly the NHS response today did cite students as separate to those with travel needs and occupational situations where the patient was in employment.

ka7e

The first response I got from my GP's receptionist (who referred me to Occ. Health) was that the provision of vaccination for HepB had become a "political" decision. And cynical old me knew I would have problems getting someone to take responsibility!
I am very annoyed that despite 5 calls to Occ.Health, including 3 voice messages left with the Team Leader, I have never had a call back. There must be hundreds of students in our Health Authority area either paying for jabs the NHS insists they have or leaving them to be done by their Unis. Student nurses and midwives usually have their first hospital placement within 6 months of starting their course and having the jabs are a condition of taking up their uni place. It took a Practice Nurse with a bit of common sense to take the matter into her own hands and start DD on a vaccination programme.

DrFluffy

phoebe03cat wrote: »

My daughter has to have a course of 3 hepb's before she starts her course this Sept. Local doctors charges £99!!! Does anyone know any way of getting this reduced, or better still paid for pls as she's still at school?:eek:

HepB jans are one of those very annoying things - they count as private prescriptions at the GP, so any GP who gives them for free is doing so out of their own pocket. Have you told the GP that it is for uni, often those who will jab for free just want to see their final acceptance form from UCAS and jabs-a-way? You could write to the practice manager.

I've heard stories that even university and medical school occupational health services have been charging for them this year :eek:.

If she doesn't have a health problem (where continuity of care is important), phone around local surgeries and see if any of them give it to people who need it for a course for free - if so, reregister her there.

There is one other option, [which I personally would never do, as you might need to disclose where you had it and then it might work back into your medical records, and later become an issue if applying for life assurance, as it might place you in a 'risk taking' group] is to go to the local sexual health clinic...

phoebe03cat

Thanks Dr.Fluffy. DD jabbed today for free and they have agreed to complete the whole course. Long story on getting there - posted earlier on this thread. Interesting point regarding the life assurance aspects on medical records. I agree-not worth it -but then it would appear that students are increasingly likely to be put in that invidious position with uni's starting to charge too.

Nenen

phoebe03cat wrote: »

I have today just received a further phone call from the NHS themselves who have stated that doctors should NOT be making ANY PROFITS from STUDENTS needing jabs for courses or indeed any FIELD TRIPS etc associated with courses. They should be provided FREE of cost.
QUOTE]

You have done so well to get this far phoebe :T :T Please could you tell me who in the NHS you phoned (with tel number) and got this call back from (or any other advice that might help me get a rebate)? It's probably too late to get the £150+ I paid for my university son's injections for his field trip last August but I can always live in hope! I'd also be grateful if anyone who has been following this thread knows how I can find out the cost to the NHS of the injections my son had (I can't remember them all right now but I know it included Hep and tick-born encephalitis). If I can find out the cost to the NHS then I could work out if they did actually make a profit out of it! If they did my son's would get a rebate on his 21st birthday present from me and I'd be very happy about that!:D

phoebe03cat

I started off just by phoning NHS direct.0845 4647. You have to tell them its a call for information as it takes them a bit of time to come off the usual patter which assumes you are ill; Asking if the person's breathing etc! They promised me they would call me back within 3 hours after I had explained, but in fact it was 3 days! Nevertheless they had looked into it when they finally called and it was then that I was given the information directly. Sorry didn't get a name as I had sorted it by then.
As they suggested you could of course go to your Primary Care Trust which is where I would have gone if I hadn't resolved it. Since mine was resolved through my own practice manager in the end -you could try them first as they obviously have the discretion at the end of the day.Mine sorted it impressively quickly when she had a will too ; it does seem to be a very murky area, especially as Dr.Fluffy says that uni's and occ health are now starting to charge too. I have to say I got nowhere with the receptionists and had to go directly to the p. manager.
I would have also gone to my MP as this is now clearly a political issue and told them so. We are just outside the band where we get help with anything, and scrape along. I saw red when my daughter pointed out that if she had irresponsible sex, got pregnant, forgot uni etc etc she would have all the help going. She's seen how hard we've worked for the family and how much we've paid effectively to benefit all and sundry and is questioning the point.
If a student, with no income only inevitable debt, training to help others in our own NHS system can't be protected from the diseases they will encounter within that system then I've lost the plot, except the future clearly isn't here.