Important Londonwide CEO message, volume 2, number 1 - 9 October 2009

 

1. Contractual Things

 

H1N1 is now recognised by those at the top as being nowhere near the severity at first feared, and so there is no plan to suspend QOF. Rather, as part of the package of arrangements negotiated with the GPC, in recognition of the increased demand on us from H1N1 illness and vaccination, there will be no changes to the current QOF until the next pay round.

 

Payment for H1N1 vaccination will be in the form of a DES. We are awaiting the final details of the DES, but however it is constructed, the price is based on £5.25 per dose per eligible patient, irrespective of who delivers the vaccine. The inclusion for payment purposes of patients by District Nurses is specifically agreed by officials. We will give you more details as we get them.


2. Vaccine Distribution, Doses and Data

  • All NHS GP practices will receive swine flu vaccine directly from the central supplier.
  • Vaccines will be delivered to GP practices in the week commencing 19 October (first deliveries will be made to acute trusts from 14 October).
  • You will receive one box of the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine (called Pandemrix). One box will contain 50 multi dose vials of 2.5ml suspension and two boxes containing 25 2.5ml vials of adjuvant.  Each 5.0 ml of reconstituted vaccine should provide 10 doses.  Each pack should provide 500 doses. The pack size is 260mm x 113mm x 97mm. This is about the size of a small shoe box.
  • The DH is developing a training DVD with information and instructions on how to reconstitute and administer this vaccine. This should be available online next week.
  • Vaccine consumables (Combined Needle and Syringe for Vaccine, mixing needle, mixing syringe) will be delivered directly to a delivery point organised by the PCT and distributed to the practices.
  • At this stage, the recommendation is still two doses of vaccine, at an interval of three weeks. The evidence for one dose is being reviewed and you will be informed of any changes.
  • Vaccine uptake data will be collected from GP practices in a similar way to the seasonal flu vaccination data collections.
  • PRIMIS+ are producing the Swine Flu Clinical Risk Group READ codes specification. It is based on the seasonal flu specification, with the addition of pregnant women. This specification will be published once it is finalised. PRIMIS+ will also be releasing a swine flu library for their CHART tool, which provides facilities to identify patients in clinical risk groups and extracts the uptake data.
  • Private GPs will not be receiving vaccine stock, therefore their priority patients will be advised to register with their nearest NHS GP.

3. Business Continuity Plans

 

We are aware that PCTs are required to ensure that practices have business continuity plans. This has been linked to pandemic flu planning but is not a requirement of practices under any of our contracts and should not form part of any PCT performance management of your practice. However, the profession’s view is that it is good practice to have such a plan for many reasons, including in the Capital, terrorism, insurance purposes, health and safety legislation and industrial relations. So we recommend you prepare one for your own internal use. If the PCT asks, you can then tell them you have one. If you need further support, please contact nora.breen@lmc.org.uk.

 

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