GPs in local area no longer doing travel vaccines / jabs - is this allowed?

kittyl48

I'm off on safari in 10 weeks' time, so I've just rung my GP surgery to book in with the nurse to get my jabs (like I've done several times before)...

When I spoke to the receptionist, she said that that they no longer offer a travel vaccine service.:mad: I asked if any other GP surgeries in the local CCG / area still offered the service, and she told me that the only option was to go to a chemist 3 miles away that has a travel vaccine service (and who will, presumably, charge; and they don't have my records).

Are they allowed to do this?! It's postcode prescribing! Just because of where I live I can't get access to the vaccines that are provided free to everyone else?:mad:

NHS Choices states here: The following travel vaccinations are usually available free on the NHS:

• diphtheria, polio and tetanus
• typhoid
• hepatitis A
• cholera

These vaccines are usually free because they protect against diseases thought to represent the greatest risk to public health if they were brought into the country.

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

I worry about the use of the word usually here... but these are the ones I need... the only 'paid' one I might need is Yellow Fever and I've had that already when I went to south America. Oh and the malarials of course, but I'd already expected to pay for those.

It's going to cost me a fortune and going to be a real faff... But mostly I resent being discriminated against because of where I live. Who can I complain to?

bigadaj

Move?

How much have you paid for the safari and how much are the jabs, it is ridiculous that any jabs are free, should all be paid for for holidays.

richardw

The receptionist is first in line with the 'get lost' if you aren't ill.
It saves them money.
Find out your entitlement on the NHS and shout LOUDLY for it.

kittyl48

Bigadaj - I wouldn't have a problem with that if it was policy across the UK, but it isn't.

Hence postcode prescribing, hence why I am feeling quite irate.

The fact that I can afford it is a moot point, others may not be so fortunate - some people have to budget hard to go aboard.

bigadaj

kittyl48 wrote: »

Bigadaj - I wouldn't have a problem with that if it was policy across the UK, but it isn't.

Hence postcode prescribing, hence why I am feeling quite irate.

The fact that I can afford it is a moot point, others may not be so fortunate - some people have to budget hard to go aboard.

Many things are more expensive in a rural area, this seems a very minor issue comoared with many.

I grew up in a very rural area of Wales so understand the issues, and I think there is an argument for maintaining a cross subsidy to maintain rural areas, this might include bus services, rural broadband amongst other things, free vaccinations for holidays would be quite a long way down that list.

PasturesNew

I bet most won't be offering it now as they have to cut back somewhere. It's not just the cost of the jabs the NHS saves, it's the Doctor's time, freeing up an appointment space for somebody to be able to see their Doctor for an illness they actually have.

mgdavid

richardw wrote: »

The receptionist is first in line with the 'get lost' if you aren't ill.
It saves them money.
Find out your entitlement on the NHS and shout LOUDLY for it.

Wrong on two counts.
It's at their discretion not an entitlement.
Shouting loudly will not improve your chances of them using their discretion in your favour.

DomRavioli

Hi OP,

You still have to pay for the vaccines from a chemist (typhoid vaccines are in short supply, they usually require ordering in as they are no longer stocked by most chemists) if you pay for prescriptions, and get these before you have an appointment with anyone (GP, pharmacist, travel clinic).

There is no "postcode prescribing" - if someone needs it as a matter of urgency then it is usually given, as you are going on holiday, you pay for your immunisations just as everyone else does. The sense of entitlement is literally astounding.

There is no obligation for a GP service to offer travel immunisations, I live in a town of just under a million people in the borough, and the practice I worked at did offer a travel service but only because it was the largest in the borough - but patients still had to pay for vaccines from the chemist and bring them to the surgery beforehand.

If you can afford a safari, you can afford a couple of shots. Most Boots pharmacies offer travel vaccinations, perhaps speak with them for prices (you will find they are usually on par with what you would pay through the NHS, maybe a few pounds more per shot but not extortionate).

And richardw, as a long time NHS worker and recent receptionist in a GP surgery, if you did that in my surgery you would be asked to leave and potentially removed from the practice list. We have a zero tolerance policy (as does the rest of the NHS) on abuse against staff which includes shouting for no reason.

agrinnall

kittyl48 wrote: »

It's going to cost me a fortune...

Is it? Have you actually checked? And are you sure you even need all of them (particularly cholera)?

k3lvc

DomRavioli wrote: »

And richardw, as a long time NHS worker and recent receptionist in a GP surgery, if you did that in my surgery you would be asked to leave and potentially removed from the practice list. We have a zero tolerance policy (as does the rest of the NHS) on abuse against staff which includes shouting for no reason.

If only the patients who have to suffer some of the s**t doled out by NHS had the same level of power as you.

As an example my 13yo needs an appointment in our 'local' practice which now consists of 7 surgeries/50+ GP's

Not a single appointment in next 2 weeks and can't book more than two weeks in advance. Not an emergency hence no need to take up an appointment that day. Strangely my online access allows me to book an appt for me (but not her as she's under 18 so can't have an online account) but even though GP access notes online I'm not allowed to transfer appt from me to her.

Given your history/defence of the situation how do you suggest a sane, educated, normally calm bloke deals with the blanket response of 'computer says no' :mad:

FBaby

I wouldn't have a problem with that if it was policy across the UK, but it isn't

It will be soon, your area is ahead of others, which is good as clearly is it more atuned to reviewing NHS policy to make sure that funds are used for efficiently.

As it's been said, paying for people to go and enjoy themselves on a holiday is not a priority for the NHS. Your chances of catching these are low anyway, so it is still a cost saving for the NHS, even if a few decide not to get vaccinated because of the costs (despite the fact they can afford to get there in the first place), it will mean a saving for the NHS. Well done to your CCG.