The chief executive of NHS England has said GPs will be contacted this week about the DES for administering a Covid vaccine, confirming Pulse’s world exclusive yesterday.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Simon Stevens said NHS England had ‘reached agreement with the GPs’ and will be ‘writing to GP practices this week’ with details.
He said this is in an attempt to get GPs ‘geared up to start before Christmas’.
Pulse revealed yesterday that a DES to administer the Covid vaccine will be announced imminently.
As part of the programme, it is expected there will be two vaccines that could be part of the programme before Christmas, with one needing to be given in two doses and the other needing to be kept at minus 70 degrees.
It is also expected that over-85s and front line workers will be the first to receive the vaccines.
Speaking to Today, Sir Simon said: ‘There are over 200 vaccines in development, and I believe that we should hopefully get one or more of those available certainly from the first part of next year.
‘But in anticipation of that, we’re also gearing the NHS up to be ready to make a start on administering Covid vaccines before Christmas if they become available.
‘And in fact, we have reached agreement with the GPs to ensure that they will be doing that, and we will be writing to GP practices this week to get them geared up to start before Christmas if the vaccine becomes available.’
Pulse broke the news yesterday that featured on the front page of the Daily Mirror, the Metro, the i and the Daily Express.
READERS' COMMENTS [2]
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Erhh, nobody has “reached any agreement with me”……..the last I heard NHS England were “pumping out falsehoods” about GPs.
where has stevens been for the last few months?