GP practices giving MMR vaccine to staff have indemnity cover, says NHSE

GP practices will have indemnity cover when administering the MMR vaccine to their staff even if they are registered elsewhere, NHS England has confirmed. 

But practices will not be able to claim an item of service fee for administering vaccines to these staff members. 

This move is in response to measles outbreaks across the country, which have been concentrated in the West Midlands but with ‘clusters’ of cases now increasing in other areas of the country.

GPs were asked last year to deliver a catch-up MMR vaccination programme for children aged between 12 months and five years, and in response to more recent outbreaks, NHS England launched a campaign this month for children aged six to 11 who still require the vaccine.

GPs were told to prepare for an increase in enquiries, and NHS England advised healthcare professionals, including GP practice staff, to wear PPE when dealing with suspected measles cases.

The BMA’s GP Committee called for a measles vaccination enhanced service earlier this month, to cover the currently ‘unresourced’ work associated with the outbreaks. 

In its latest update, the GPCE told members it had written to NHSE ‘asking for funding’ for the additional work of vaccinating staff, and also ‘pressed for negligence scheme cover’.

NHSE has confirmed this cover is now in place, however funding for administering vaccines to staff registered at another practice is not possible. 

The national commissioner’s deputy director of vaccination Jane Freeguard told GPs they are ‘permitting practices to administer MMR vaccines to their eligible staff who are registered with another practice under INT (immediately necessary treatment)’. 

This arrangement, for MMR vaccinations only, will be in place until the end of March and is specifically aimed at tackling the measles national incident. 

Ms Freeguard continued: ‘An item of service fee cannot be claimed for the administration of MMR vaccines to staff registered with another practice. 

‘However, indemnity cover will be provided through CNSGP and nationally supplied MMR stock can be used to vaccinate eligible staff.’

GP practices should ‘strongly’ encourage staff to inform their registered practice that they have received the MMR vaccine in order for their medical record to be updated, according to NHSE. 

Latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that cases in the Birmingham area may be showing signs of easing but other spikes are being seen in London, the North West and Yorkshire. 

A further 60 laboratory confirmed cases of measles were recorded in England last week, bringing the total number since October to 581.