New contracts have been agreed to provide vaccination outreach services across the South West, helping more people access vaccinations, particularly in underserved communities.

The three-year contracts will begin on 1 September 2026 and will support communities where vaccination uptake is lower, including areas experiencing higher levels of deprivation and people who may face barriers to accessing routine health services.

The outreach services will work alongside existing vaccination services, such as GP practices, pharmacies and school-aged immunisation teams and offer targeted support in local communities. This will include engagement work such as helping people understand which vaccinations they may be eligible for, answering questions, building confidence, and making it easier for people to get vaccinated.

Vaccinations are one of the most effective ways to protect people from serious illness. However, some communities experience poorer access to vaccination services or lower uptake because of barriers such as travel, availability of appointments, lack of trusted information, language or communication needs, digital exclusion, or previous experiences of health services.

The vaccination outreach services will be able to use local data and community insight to identify where support is most needed, supporting the NHS Vaccination Strategy by reaching underserved communities through a targeted outreach approach. The services will also help to close the gap in health inequalities and bring more focus on prevention of ill health, in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Dr Georgina Angel, Consultant in Public Health and Screening and Immunisation Lead for NHS England South West said: “Vaccinations save lives. But we know that access is not the same for everyone, and some people face additional barriers when engaging with health care and vaccinations.

“These new outreach services are an exciting and significant step forward in bringing services more closely in line with the needs of local communities. Building trust and developing stronger relationships is at the heart of service design, improving access and supporting vaccine conversations where it is needed most.”

Seven providers will deliver vaccination outreach services across the South West, aligned to local Integrated Care Board areas:

• One Care for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
• Banes Enhanced Medical Services (BEMS) for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board
• Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
• University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust for Devon Integrated Care Board
• Dorset Health Care University NHS Foundation Trust for Dorset Integrated Care Board
• Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust for Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
• Somerset NHS Foundation Trust for Somerset Integrated Care Board