Travel vaccinations

FANG

I have just paid for 2 travel vaccinations. On the NHS choices website. it states that these are usually free.


http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Travel-immunisation/Pages/Introduction.aspx


I have done a bit of research and around the country a considerable number of doctors administer these for free, but not mine.


Why do we have this inconsistent approach. I am not happy about this.


I would like to claim my money back. So who do I contact.

InsideInsurance

You complain to the practice manager at the GP surgery in the first instance.

Inconsistency in whats payable by the NHS and what is private practice is very common across the NHS as its very feudal in nature with only guidelines on how many things should be done/ funded.

Our last GPs officially charged for all travel vaccinations but the nurse always "forgot" to put it through for processing (at least for us)

agrinnall

Which vaccinations were they? Did your practice tell you in advance that you would be charged for them, and what did they say when you pointed out the "usually free of charge" statement?

One other thought: was the charge for supplying the vaccines or for giving them?

Doshwaster

I have some vaccinations done at my GP's travel clinic recently and all of the ones I had were free but the nurse did mention that they do charge for some (rabies was one I remember) and that they no longer charge for some that that used to.

I have no idea whether practices are allowed to choose which ones are free but they really ought to tell you before sticking the needle in.

FBaby

I'm confused as the link doesn't seem to mention malaria ans I thought this was a common one to have when travelling in a number of countries. I am pretty sure these are never free though.

imho

Didnt think there is a jab for Malaria its tablets you have to buy.
Rabies jab you have to buy as well.

Pollycat

FBaby wrote: »

I'm confused as the link doesn't seem to mention malaria ans I thought this was a common one to have when travelling in a number of countries. I am pretty sure these are never free though.

That's probably because the link was talking specifically about vaccinations and you can't be vaccinated against malaria - you have to take malaria prevention in the form of tablets.

Malaria tablets are not free.

paddyrg

Vaccinations and antimalarials are every bit as much a part of the cost of your holiday as the flight or hotel. Probably the best antimalarials are Malarone - get them from a reputable chemist as there are fakes around.

Do you expect TfL to get you to the airport free, or fly you for free, after all?!

agrinnall

paddyrg wrote: »

Vaccinations and antimalarials are every bit as much a part of the cost of your holiday as the flight or hotel. Probably the best antimalarials are Malarone - get them from a reputable chemist as there are fakes around.

I agree with your first sentence, but the second is way too sweeping - you need to investigate the anti-malarials that are most effective in the area you'll be travelling and take the one(s) that you consider most appropriate. In some areas that will be Malarone, in others something else - I took Doxycline daily for over 4 months when I travelled through SE Asia.

bap98189

FANG wrote: »

I have done a bit of research and around the country a considerable number of doctors administer these for free, but not mine.

Why do we have this inconsistent approach. I am not happy about this.

A lot of NHS policy varies from region to region. It has done for years. Nowadays it also varies from practice to practice.

There is a central body called NICE that advises which services and drugs should be made available, which should be free and which chargeable, but their advice is just that - advice. Individual regions and GP practices are allowed to follow it or ignore it. What they do is up to them.

This is government policy. The current government drove through reforms to give much more decision making power to individual PCT's. The result of having so many decisions made locally, rather than regionally or nationally, will obviously be a much wider variation in treatments throughout the country (the so called postcode lottery). Whether you believe this to be a good thing or not depends on your political viewpoint.

In your case, if it is the practice policy to charge for certain vaccines, then you have to pay. By all means complain and hope that the practice changes their policy, but ultimately the decision is down to the practice management.

Doshwaster

bap98189 wrote: »

This is government policy. The current government drove through reforms to give much more decision making power to individual PCT's. The result of having so many decisions made locally, rather than regionally or nationally, will obviously be a much wider variation in treatments throughout the country (the so called postcode lottery). Whether you believe this to be a good thing or not depends on your political viewpoint.

Without wanting to turn this into a political debate this highlights a contradiction. People want more local control, democracy and accountability in the NHS but they also want national standards and no "postcode lottery". If you have one you really can't have the other.