Immunisations: information for health professionals and commissioners

Since the Health and Social Care Act 2012, NHS England is responsible for the routine commissioning of national screening and immunisation programmes under the terms of the Section 7a agreement.  This Act introduced changed roles for commissioners of immunisations, the detail of which is outlined in the Immunisation & Screening National Delivery Framework & Local Operating Model.

In London, commissioning of the Section 7a immunisation programmes is done by the NHS England (London) Public Health Commissioning Team.  This team comprises of Public Health England and NHS England staff who work together to improve the uptake and quality of commissioned vaccination services in London.  These services are provided through general practice, school aged vaccination teams, pharmacies, maternity services and some outreach services.

Up-to-date information on vaccinations is provided by the team to all general practices through the monthly GP Bulletin.  If you are a health professional working in immunisations and would like to be kept-up-to-date on immunisations and vaccination services in London, please contact ENGLAND.londonimms@nhs.net.  We have a number of resources on NHS Futures Platform that we can share with you.  We recommend that you also subscribe to Vaccine Update.

If you are an immunisation service provider and you would like to report a vaccine incident, please contact us on england.londonscreening-incidents@nhs.net .

For all other queries, including payments, please contact us on ENGLAND.londonimms@nhs.net.

If you are a member of the public or a vaccination provider and you have a clinical query about a vaccine please contact your local London Health Protection Team through https://www.gov.uk/health-protection-team.

Delivery of immunisations in London during COVID-19: information for the public

While coronavirus has had an impact and put limitations on all our lives, it is important that all those who require them still have routine vaccinations. They protect against serious and potentially deadly illnesses and stop outbreaks in the community.

• It is safe to have your vaccinations – GP practices in London have measures in place to minimise any risk.
• If a vaccination appointment has been missed, please ring your GP practice to re-book.
• If the person needing vaccination has coronavirus symptoms or is self-isolating because someone in the household is displaying symptoms, the appointment will need to be rescheduled.
• Please see our animation on how childhood immunisations are being delivered in general practice (below)
• Visit www.nhs.uk/vaccinations for more information.

Useful Links for vaccinators

For advice on delivering vaccinations during the COVID-19 period, download this guidance document or visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/preparedness-letters-for-general-practice/

If you have newly registered patients and you’re not sure about their vaccination status, please use the PHE algorithm for people with uncertain or incomplete immunisation status, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaccination-of-individuals-with-uncertain-or-incomplete-immunisation-status. PHE has developed a leaflet on migrant vaccinations, which you may find useful.

For clinical queries, please see the Green Book at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation-against-infectious-disease-the-green-book

All vaccinators  in primary care should have annual vaccination training updates in line with PHE standards.  In the London Region, we have commissioned free webinars from PHE (London).  Here are the details of the 2020 dates – Webinar Flyer July to December 2020

For training information, free immunisation promotional materials and general information on the Section 7a programmes, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation

We also have guidance for general practice on dealing with missed or incomplete adolescent vaccinations that are offered in schools.  Please click here

NHSE has guidance on how to claim through CQRS and a FAQs sheet. For NHSE (London)’s advice for vaccine payments outside Section 7a programmes, please click here.

For NHSE (London)’s Section 7a Hepatitis B programme protocol, please click here. All Dried Blood Tests (DBS) for the 12 month blood test can be ordered from england.dbskits-london@nhs.net.

For the latest version of London’s BCG Protocol, please contact england.londonimms@nhs.net

NHSE (London) have produced a list of codes to help with the recording of childhood immunisation vaccinations, please click here for details.

Parent invite and reminder systems (call/recall) are the most effective way to improve uptake of childhood immunisations.  We have developed best practice guidance to help our London based general practices.  A Good Practice- Immunisation Invite Reminder Poster version is also available.

For more information about school-aged vaccinations for adolescents:

• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/men-acwy-vaccine/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/3-in-1-teenage-booster/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine/

Shingles vaccine toolkit

The shingles vaccination programme provides a free vaccine that is offered to those who are currently 70 or 78 years old as well as those previously eligible but who missed the immunisation, e.g. anyone in their 70s born after 1 September 1942.  Patients remain eligible for the vaccination until their 80^th birthday.

We are pleased to present a toolkit that provides practical information to help Practices identify eligible patients and invite them for their vaccination. The guide offers information on conducting searches, working out eligibility, claiming payments and suggests ways in which Practices can reach out to their patients e.g. through coffee mornings.

Patient Group Directions (PGDs) for Vaccines

Public Health England develop and publish Patient Group Directions (PGDs) for vaccination service providers which NHS England (London Region) is required to authorize and publish.

As these are published, NHS England London Region will authorise them and then publish them on this website, and will replace any existing NHS England London Region PGDs. They will be identified as NHSE/PHE PGDs to differentiate them from those developed by NHS England London Region.

Not all vaccines included in the suite of individual vaccine PGDs may be commissioned from every service but these have been included for completeness.

The development and authorisation of these PGDs is supported by a PGD Policy.

The PGDS on this NHS England London Region’s webpage must only to be used by specified healthcare professionals in the London Region area working for providers that are either directly commissioned by NHS England London Region or who are administering vaccinations as part of a national immunisation programme.

Below are the current PGDs, if you have a query about older PGDs, please email england.londonimms@nhs.net