Paying for travel vaccines

CDW

My GP says they no longer do travel vaccines. We need Typhoid and Tetanus /diptheria and polio boosters.

The NHS website states: The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery: Typhoid / Tetanus, diptheria and polio as well as Hep A

Has anyone else experienced this and had any luck with finding a way to get them on the NHS. They are £40 each at a travel clinic which is suddenly hundreds extra and not budgeted for, when in theory they should be free.

Ayr_Rage

Go to your local NHS health board website and hopefully you'll find the information, for example mine is here.

https://www.nhsaaa.net/services/services-a-z/travel-vaccines/

I've had the whole free list.

Flugelhorn

are they saying they won't do the standard vaccines as you list them (they are supposed to ) or are they referring the the others which are more complicated?

those tend to take a lot more time / identifying what is needed / ordering them / getting flaky patients to decide they want them and pay for them / keeping up to date with what is advised in specific areas

https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/gps/gp-mythbusters/gp-mythbuster-107-pretravel-health-services

itsthelittlethings

I think your only hope is a nice email to the practice manager highlighting that these vaccines are supposed to be free with a link to where it says this.

marcia_

my gp would not do travel vaccinations for free. What they did do however is write me a private prescription for the vaccine and I paid the standard prescription price and the practice nurse administered them.

CDW

@Flugelhorn They are saying they won't do the standard vaccines - Typhoid, tetanus and hep A.
I completely get and have paid in the past for ones needed for more 'exotic' locations.
I have emailed the practice manager and they are sticking to they are unable to offer these vaccines. I will keep perservering but any other suggestyions welcome.
Thanks all for your comments.

SiliconChip

I'd complain to the paractice then if they stick to their position submit a NHS complaint. The link below is for NHS England, I'd exoect similar processes to be available in other parts of the UK if you're not in England.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/feedback-and-complaints/complaint/

sheramber

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6655249/paying-for-travel-vaccines

If you are in Scotland GPs no longer do travel vaccines,

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/travel-health/travel-health-and-vaccinations/

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6655249/paying-for-travel-vaccines

Is it possible that the GP won't do the standard vaccines you mention because your health record show you to be in date / vaccinated already against these risks?

molerat

Assuming England

The link quoted by Flugelhorn above states

NHS GP practices are required to offer certain vaccinations for the purposes of travel, free of charge. The travel vaccines available on the NHS are provided because they protect against the diseases thought to be the greatest risk to public health, if brought into this country

Note the term "NHS GP practices are required to".

And the NHS website

https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/travel-vaccination-advice/

The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery:

and reinforces the reasoning that they protect the general population on your return which is why they are free.

In Scotland you go to the NHS Scotland travel website which links to your health board, fill in the form and you will be contacted back. In my board the local vaccination centres now do all vaccinations - flu, baby, travel etc.

NHS Wales states contact your GP but is unclear on where they are provided.

katejo

My Practice stopped offering them quite a few years ago now. I remember paying in about 2009.