GPC to discourage practices to sign up to vaccination programmes at reduced fees

England LMCs have voted in favour of a motion proposing a series of improvements to vaccination fee rates, in light of this year’s confused rollout of the Covid booster programme.

It instructed GPC to negotiate with NHS England ‘to ensure that IOS payments for Covid for future years are increased to at least 2022/2023 levels’.

GPs are being paid £7.54 for each Covid vaccine booster administered this autumn, down from a previous £10.06 in the previous campaign.

Local leaders also want ‘annual inflationary rises for all vaccination IOS payments’ and for GPC negotiations to ensure that ‘general practice is offered terms no less favourable than pharmacies’.

Today’s conference motion also ‘demanded’ that ‘in the future, general practice is given at least six weeks’ notice in advance of any changes in the timeline of the Covid vaccination programme’; or additional funding ‘should this lead time not be met’.

The motion also said GPC should ‘reject any future vaccinations programmes that have an IOS payment less than previously agreed’, and that it should ‘strongly advise the profession to decline signing up’ should this happen again.

The motion, which was carried unanimously in all parts, saw a number of speakers in favour and none against.

Dr Gillian Farmer, from Worcestershire LMC, said: ‘It seems that NHSE were quick to forget the success of the vaccine roll out in previous years, the world beating roll out GPs led across the country.’

‘Lack of anticipation around developing events coupled with a tendency to micromanagement and the rapid changes of riles typifies the NHS response to the Covid vaccination programme.’

Dr James Gunning from Devon LMC said: ‘In early August NHS England announced it would be reducing the amount of payment for each Covid vaccine by 25% leading to some practices realising it was no longer economically viable. 

‘We must stand up for our profession and demand that general practice is resourced to provide the work that needs to be done, We cannot allow teh government to pull the plug on something at the 11th hour denying patients access to vaccinations and destabilising our practices.’

Dr Eithne MacRae, from Mid Mersey LMC, said: ‘Every year we ask ourselves how will they mess it up this year and every year they surpass themselves.’

Dr Emma Radcliffe, from Tower Hamlets LMC, said: ‘The very organisation that says our wellbeing is a priority made decisions that put many practices and PCNs under extreme pressure. This must never happen again.’

The BMA’s GP Committee has already demanded an investigation into the Government and NHS England’s ‘mismanagement’ of this year’s vaccination programmes.

There was confusion over the start date for the adult flu and Covid vaccination programmes, which usually start in September.

NHS England said the programmes would start in October this year – a move which the BMA said would cause ‘serious disruption’.

But the Government then announced that vaccination will begin on 11 September, in what the BMA has called a ‘u-turn’, following the identification of a new Covid variant.

GPs were asked to vaccinate ‘as many people as possible’ by the end of October.