EXCLUSIVE

NHS England is "tackling" concerns that GPs are discouraging patients from getting their flu jabs at pharmacies, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has revealed.

A “handful” of local pharmaceutical committees (LPCs) have reported GPs “using negative publicity” about the national pharmacy flu service to the pharmacy negotiator, and NHS England has dealt with the issues, PSNC director of NHS services Alastair Buxton told C+D last week (October 7).

Mr Buxton advised contractors with concerns about a GP surgery to ask the practice manager to “correct any misleading information”. “They should also bring the matter to the attention of their LPC and agree [who] will raise the matter with the local NHS England team,” he said.

The negotiator has "raised the issue" with NHS England's central team and will keep a “log” of the incidents in case they cannot be dealt with locally, he added.

NHS England would not provide C+D with details of the number or nature of complaints it had received, or examples of any action it had taken. It stressed it would take “appropriate action when information is passed onto us through official procedures”.

The commissioning body would also not comment on individual examples raised by C+D, including a GP surgery in Doncaster that messaged its patients saying that getting vaccinated away from the practice “puts NHS money into private companies”.

“Please use us or risk losing vital services we currently provide,” the Thorne Moor Medical Practice said in the message, seen by C+D.

GP organisations told C+D last week that GPs must ensure patients are free to choose where they are vaccinated,

Do you have evidence that a GP practice is discouraging patients from using the pharmacy flu service?

 

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