GPs will start administering the Covid vaccine in the week commencing 14 December, NHS England has said tonight (Friday 4 December).
The notification letter to start the vaccination programme was sent out tonight by NHS England medical director of primary care Dr Nikita Kanani and director of primary care Ed waller giving ten days’ notice for starting the vaccines.
It said that CCGs will begin notifying the first PCN groupings to start administering the vaccine on Monday (7 December).
The first cohort that GPs will begin vaccinating is the over-80s.
The letter said: ‘We expect to stand up a number of designated local vaccination services (the first based on PCN groupings) to start administering COVID-19 vaccinations in the week beginning 14 December. This first wave of sites will be the beginning of a general mobilisation of practices from their designated sites.
‘Each site stood up would need to deliver 975 doses to priority patients during the week beginning 14 December –those in the over 80 cohort who can attend the site for vaccination, and taking into account other significant factors, clinical or otherwise, which may increase risk. The vaccine would need to be used quickly in the days following delivery. We can guarantee 3.5 days of vaccination following delivery, with storage at 2-8°C.’
Once the sites have been notified, NHS England will write to the groupings setting out full details of vaccine supply dates, delivery of other consumables and equipment to the site, and the process for assuring readiness before delivery of vaccines
NHS England will also begin delivering fridges and IT equipment.
The letter also addressed GP workload, stating that ‘urgent care will continue to be provided across general practice’.
However, it added that the Covid programme will be the ‘top priority’ on the days that the vaccine is being delivered.
And it concluded: ‘This is a hugely exciting moment for general practice and you who will be playing a key part in this important programme.’
READERS' COMMENTS [9]
Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles
that is not really 10 days notice …issuing the command on a Friday evening…..bit underhand
ypical of NHS England for a late Friday afternoon release .
Without discerning carefully the caveats of this mad rush , they are following the political wand of the government to push the programme through recklessly.
Well , I suppose this is veracity of ‘command and control’ under the Covid 19 Bill .
Perhaps, this is still consistent with the nature of this government: born by the vagaries of populism but punished by the stark realities of Covid 19 (arguably we see the same on the opposite side of the Atlantic) . Now it is a panic button well pressed ………
Correction:
Typical …..
Take a look at the model collaboration agreement to see just how much we are being asked to commit. It seems we will indemnify every man and his dog but get very little protection ourselves. We may have to take out additional indemnity for any non clinical staff we offer.
Despite the letter suggesting that we can reduce to emergencies only when manning the hub, the agreement very clearly states that there is no relaxation of GMS regs.
The agreement itself is faulty as the numbering of the clauses does not match references to other clauses within the document. ( One clause may reference another but , for a lot of the document the referee is to the clause one number before the correct clause)
Most GPs are not signing cup to this. Apart from the ridiculous timescales to sign up and the burden of work within the ES, the new document highlighting it’s a PSD which means you need a prescriber for w etc patient who has to know the patients health and are accountable for the vaccination both themselves and the vaccinator who the prescribed may not know
This is honestly a joke, emergency legislation to allow the government to change rules but no emergency PGD
For 312 vaccines you need 2 prescribers and 5 health care staff, even at low pay rates the income from the ES does not cover the healthcare staff let alone everything else
No thanks!!
Now vaccination is almost underway, perhaps the never ending succession of T.V. doctors will get their ”physogs” off the screen and do some proper work.
It’s a hugely positive step forward that we now have a vaccine that has been approved. But I think it shoj be delivered either via mass vaccine sites or a patient’s GP surgery (I know there are technical issues re the Pfizer vaccine but if these could be overcome that would make a huge difference in terms of where it’s given). The ES has been rushed and the in between pcn based sites is quite problematic as mentioned above in terms of workload, equity between practices and patient uptake of the vaccine. At least if it is in house you can manage who is coming etc and the workload and costs to an extent. The rush, unrealistic deadlines and to be frank coercion of GPs is being politically driven.
I can’t hear anymore claps. Just privileged consumerist amnesia.
just say no