GPs come out in force for autumn Covid boosters despite funding decrease

Exclusive The number of GPs taking part in the Covid vaccination programme has remained stable despite a drop in funding, Pulse has learned.

In July, NHS England revealed the details for the autumn Covid booster campaign, including that GP-led sites would be paid a £10.06 item of service (IoS) fee for each vaccine administered – down from £12.58.

At the time, the BMA said that GPs should review whether the reduced fee for delivering Covid jabs from September impacts their ‘ability to undertake the enhanced service’.

But data obtained by Pulse reveals that the number of GP-led sites remained stable between the current phase and the previous phases.

A Pulse freedom of information (FOI) request revealed in July last year that 1,032 PCNs took part in the first phase of the programme – but 22% of those opted out of the second phase, beginning in mid-April 2021.

NHS England has now confirmed to Pulse that 1,057 GP sites took part in phases three and four of the programme, delivering the first set of boosters and the second set in the spring.

As for the current autumn booster programme – which is the fifth phase of the programme – it said that there are 1,048 GP sites currently active.

This represents a slight fall from the numbers in phases three and four, but a slight increase on the numbers in phase one and a significant increase on participation in the second phase of the programme.

An NHS England spokesperson said that while the number of PCNs taking part in the autumn booster campaign fell slightly compared with the previous stage of the programme, there are more active vaccination sites overall.

There are a record 3,100 sites this autumn, including more than 1,680 community pharmacies, over 200 walk-in sites and 80 hospital hubs, they added.

Meanwhile, a BMA GP bulletin revealed that NHS England rejected BMA requests to increase Covid vaccination payments to practices.

A GP Committee bulletin sent to practices in August said that the GPC wrote to NHS England to highlight ‘significant’ concerns about updates to how GPs are paid for Covid jabs under the latest phase of the programme – the autumn boosters.

The updates included a reduction of the item of service charge, the removal of the care home administrative payment and a decision to pass the cost of consumables such as needles, sharps disposal and cotton swabs onto practices.

The GPC said: ‘We underlined the key role of, and enormous efforts made by, general practice in the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme and highlighted that this amendment will effectively disincentivise practices from taking part – with severe risks to vaccine uptake and public health.’

It added that the letter ‘strongly urged’ NHS England to reverse its decision and to extend the opt-in window to allow practices to consider whether to sign up despite the changes.

The GPC said it also ‘implored NHS England to adopt a collaborative approach on these crucial issues’, saying it ‘was not afforded a meaningful opportunity to negotiate’ the amendments.

However, the bulletin added that an NHS England response ‘made it clear’ that it ‘was not willing to make any of the concessions’ the BMA had requested to ‘ensure that the enhanced service remains sustainable’.

It said: ‘Whilst this is a frustrating outcome, we will continue to make representations on this issue to NHS England. 

‘Despite NHS England’s assertions, the pandemic remains a public health emergency and therefore requires us to operate on an emergency footing; decisions taken to reduce the strength of our Covid-19 vaccination programme must be vehemently challenged.’

It comes as GP practices in Cambridgeshire have been offered new staff from mass vaccination centres that are due to close next month.

The autumn Covid booster programme is currently underway, with more than 10 million boosted so far according to NHS England.