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

missbiggles1

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.

No wonder the NHS is crumbling!

tomtontom

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.

Ah yes, safari, the travel option for the less fortunate everywhere!

Mr_Wang

bigadaj wrote: »

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.

I half agree.

But if jabs weren't free, many wouldn't bother. They would then bring the diseases back to the UK. Though all aren't contagious, many are and for the wrong people, with dire consequences.

It is a fine balance.

bigadaj

Mr_Wang wrote: »

I half agree.

But if jabs weren't free, many wouldn't bother. They would then bring the diseases back to the UK. Though all aren't contagious, many are and for the wrong people, with dire consequences.

It is a fine balance.

I'm sure many don't bother anyway. Risks are low, in pure budget terms then it's likely as stated above that treating a few cases would be cheaper than paying for everyone.

814man

Pay thousands of pounds for a top notch holiday then rant on an internet forum about the cash starved NHS not providing you with free vaccinations which in reality will be a tiny amount compared to the cost of the overall holiday.
Broken Britain, right there.

DomRavioli

k3lvc wrote: »

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:

So you want a routine appointment, which aren't available through the booking line but are online, and you're having a go at me for it, even though I have nothing to do with it and it has nothing to do with this thread whatsoever?

I suggest if you are unhappy with how your current surgery books appointments you go elsewhere, where the booking policy does suit you - not all practices are the same, and in ours we can change appointments between family members at the same address, if there is sufficient reason to do so, but this is a practice policy, not an NHS policy.

Perhaps you would be well to advise your current practice that you are unhappy so they can find a peaceful and pleasant resolution for all invovled without you blowing a bolt.

mumps

kittyl48 wrote: »

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?

Gosh a whole 3 miles, that certainly is going to be a terrible faff. How far away is the safari?

PompeyPete

I'm happy with our GP Travel Clinic...

http://www.watersidemedicalcentre.nhs.uk/clinics-and-services.aspx

"We have a private travel centre providing a complete travel service, including advice, immunisation and products for both our patients and non-registered clients. Allow adequate time in order for vaccine(s) to be effective. Certain travel vaccinations are chargeable - please ask at the time of booking. For more information and clinic times please see the above Travel Vaccinations tab."

We go for advice and reassurance from someone trained in travel medicine. At the end of our [approx] 30 minute appointment we're given a bespoke health brief valid only for the trip we're about to go on, which we could use to support any medical claim on my travel insurance.

More useful info...

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

Ballard

In an ideal world every medicine would be free but we all know that that's not the case. With money being so tight for the NHS they have to cut back somewhere and travel vaccinations would seem an obvious place to save a few quid.

When all's said and done a holiday is a luxury rather than a given right. If I choose to go somewhere where getting inoculated is recommended then I don't have any problems paying for it.

I can see the point that the charge (or not) should be uniform and I also see that some people would save the expense and not get the jab. I haven't looked through a travel insurance policy in some time but does anyone know whether you'd generally be covered whilst abroad if you catch a disease for which you didn't get inoculated?

If there was a vote on the subject I'd vote 'charge' even though I regularly travel to countries that need jabs.

unforeseen

It's just a CCG prioritising where they spend/earn their money and manpower.

I expect to see more of this type of thing now that GPs have a bigger say in the running of their CCG than they ever did under the the old PCT system.

If they can get an income from something that is not primary healthcare then why not? It is no different to charging for HGV medicals and such like. TBH I think that there are other areas that should be charged for because they would not be considered healthcare as such