National Pharmacy Association (NPA) member Mike Patel, director and superintendent pharmacist at Pearl Chemist group, visited the Department of Health and Social Care (DH)  in London earlier this week (September 21), administering approximately 100 flu jabs for ministers and officials in an event facilitated by the NPA.

Mr Patel vsited the DH in Westminster, London, administering vaccinations to minister for patient safety, suicide prevention and mental health Nadine Dorries and parliamentary under-secretary for health and social care Lord Bethell, among others.

Pharmacy minister Jo Churchill also received her flu jab from community pharmacy this week, getting hers at Keencare Pharmacy in London – part of the Green Light Pharmacy group – yesterday (September 22).

Commenting on his visit to the DH, Mr Patel told C+D yesterday (September 22) that the ministers “really valued pharmacy” and believe it is a “good place to get your vaccinations done”.

“We had a really good turnout of people [of] around 100 people, and the delivery was brilliant,” he added.

Mr Patel thanked the NPA for organising the  visit and said  the “key message” is that those who are “in the risk groups really need to get their vaccines done immediately””.

Jo Churchill: Pharmacies play “crucial role” in flu jab service

Ms Churchill told C+D yesterday that she “can’t stress enough how important it is that people in eligible groups get their flu jabs”.

“Pharmacies play a crucial role in the NHS flu vaccination service and I got my flu jab done in a pharmacy today,” she added.

Earlier this year (July 24), the government announced the expansion of the 2020/21 flu jab programme to ready the NHS for winter pressures and a potential second peak of COVID-19 by extending eligibility for free vaccinations to groups including people aged 50-64, children in year 7, those on the shielded patients list and members of their household

NPA: “Pharmacies are vital public health facilities”

Mark Lyonette, chief executive of the NPA, said the organisation was “delighted to arrange for NPA members to vaccinate ministers and DH officials against flu”.

The event was “a further reminder to senior politicians that pharmacies are vital public health facilities, which need support to keep on delivering great patient care and address population needs,” he added.