Some GPs have warned they may not be able to offer flu vaccination clinics next winter due to rising operational costs.
Doctors have written to England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, to express concern about the “static” pay given to GPs offering the service.
The British Medical Association (BMA) confirmed some GP practices have already indicated that they do not intend to sign up for the flu programme next winter.
The BMA warned that the issue is pressing as orders for most flu jabs will need to be placed soon.
The union’s GP committee for England pointed out that the payments for flu services were last uplifted in 2018/19.
“The consequences of the real-term decline in funding for these programmes can be severe for both GP practices and patients,” wrote Dr Julius Parker, deputy chairman of the committee.
“We believe that we are reaching the point that many practices may feel that participation in the annual flu programme is no longer a financially viable option, with costs of providing of flu clinics (including additional staff, clinical time etc) having risen substantially in recent years, whilst funding for the programme has remained static.
“We are already hearing from practices across the country that they do not intend to sign up for next year’s flu programme and consequently are not planning on ordering vaccine stock.”
He said the union “is concerned that any action to correct the current situation will only come once practices actively start to pull out of the programme”.
Meanwhile, other surgeries are contractually obliged to provide the service, but the “reduction in funding for provision of routine immunisation programmes is contributing to the general decline in funding for general practices, with practices needing to make difficult financial choices on things like their clinical workforce and non-contractual services that they would otherwise like to be able to offer,” Dr Parker said.
Dr Parker added: “We believe that safeguarding and increasing uptake for these programmes should be a priority for the Government and the NHS, especially in light of the risks we’ve seen in recent years from infectious diseases alongside falling rates of vaccination.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
