Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service

Updated 01/06/2023

Community Pharmacy England has a wide range of resources on its Flu Vaccination page here:

Flu Vaccination Service – Community Pharmacy England (cpe.org.uk)

#getreadyforflu

Community pharmacy has been providing flu vaccinations under a nationally commissioned service since September 2015.

Each year from September through to March the NHS runs a seasonal flu vaccination campaign aiming to vaccinate all patients who are at risk of developing more serious complications from the virus. The accessibility of pharmacies, their extended opening hours and the option to walk in without an appointment have proved popular with patients seeking vaccinations.

The Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service (Flu Vaccination Service) supports NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) in providing an effective vaccination programme and it aims:

1. to sustain and maximise uptake of flu vaccine in at risk groups by continuing to build the capacity of community pharmacies as an alternative to general practice; and
2. to provide more opportunities and improve convenience for eligible patients to access flu vaccinations.

For each flu season:

Contractors need to ensure that they have completed the following steps before they commence flu vaccination under this service:

For each Pharmacist delivering the service:

1. Review the Declaration of Competency Assessment for Vaccinations on the CPPE website, if appropriate (see below)
2. Print off, complete, sign and date the Declaration of Competency, ensuring you complete the box “Learning and assessment completed from other providers” with the details of the non-CPPE training you have used to achieve competence.
3. Keep a copy for your records and submit a copy to each pharmacy premises where you will provide the service.
4. Ensure that they have (and retain for their records) a completed and signed authorisation page (page 15) of the PGD for each organisation they are delivering the service for.

On 14 April 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement issued a statement concerning amendments to the training requirements and resources in preparation for the September 2020 flu vaccination service.

This includes information on face-to-face training, online training and the annual online refresher training. This information supersedes the training requirements in this Declaration of Competence (DoC) framework. Please refer to this updated information before you start to work through this DoC framework and apply it when renewing your DoC statement.

For each pharmacy premises, the contractor must ensure:

1. There is a copy of the PGD that has been signed by someone authorised to do so on behalf of the pharmacy.
2. There is a completed Practitioner authorisation sheet (see current PGD), detailing who will be providing the service at the premises
3. There is a copy of each pharmacist’s Declaration of Competence
4. The declaration form on the NHSBSA’s website has been completed for each premises.
5. They complete and sign the authorisation page of the PGD for each pharmacist who is delivering the service in their organisation (not each site).

For each vaccination, the pharmacy must ensure:

1. The patient meets the eligibility requirements
2. The patient is given a copy of the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet for the vaccine
3. Signed patient consent is obtained and recorded
4. The patient questionnaire is completed post-vaccination
5. The patient’s GP is notified on the same day as the vaccination (or the following day if this is not possible).
6.  An entry in the POM register (be it paper or electronic) is made for each supply.

At the end of the month, the pharmacy must ensure:

1. Completed patient questionnaires are submitted to the NHSBSA in the month end parcel
2. Appropriate claims are submitted for payment

Training Providers

• https://ecgtraining.co.uk/product/vaccinationfull/? – Accredited vaccination training provider
• https://www.npa.co.uk/services-and-support/– NPA provides both PGD and training.
• http://www.alliance-healthcare.co.uk/pharmacies/flu-vaccination-service – Alliance Healthcare provides flu vaccination service and you don’t have to be a member.
• http://www.aah.co.uk/shop/en-GB/aahpoint/flubooking – AAH provides flu training
• https://www.buttercupstraining.co.uk/course/vaccination-training-full-practical-online – Buttercups provides flu training
• https://www.flujabtraining.co.uk/courses/ – Flu Jab Training provides flu training and online refresher course
• https://www.locumkey.com/flujabtraining – LocumKey provides flu training in London area
• https://www.cb-training.com/vaccination-training/ – Charles Bloe Training Ltd provides flu training and online refresher course
• www.immunisationsuk.co.uk