GP surgery payments relating to vaccinations: FOI release

Information requested

Information about how much GP surgeries are being paid for Flu vaccination clinics and COVID vaccinations.

Also what happens if the GP surgeries do not carry out the vaccines? Do they still get paid?

Response

I enclose a copy of all of the information you requested.

The answer to your question is:

In previous years general practice has delivered the Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunisation Scheme outside their core contracts. Health Boards were directed by Scottish Ministers to offer practices first refusal of nationally agreed terms for delivering the flu programme to their patients. These terms paid GPs a fee rate dependent on meeting targets for patients aged over 65 years and a flat fee for vaccinating at risk patients and pre-school children, “mop up” fees for children missed by the schools programme, and a flat fee for vaccinating patients aged over 65 years against pneumococcal disease.

This changed in 2020 where, due to the circumstances of COVID-19, GP practices were asked to support the programme in return for a payment based upon their average previous activity. As such there is now no standard payment for how much GP practices are paid to participate in the Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunisation programmes.

The arrangements are set out here - Influenza & pneumococcal temporary enhanced service (scot.nhs.uk)

GP practices are paid £12.58 per dose of COVID-19 immunisation provided.

The arrangements are set out here - PCA(M)(2021)09 - COVID-19 Vaccination Directed Enhanced Service (scot.nhs.uk)

In 2017, as part of the commitment to reduce GP workload, the Scottish Government and Scottish GP Committee of the BMA (SGPC) agreed vaccinations would progressively move away from a model based on GP delivery to one based on NHS Board delivery through dedicated teams.

Scottish Government and SGPC have agreed that practice income will be kept stable as Enhanced Services are transferred from the core GP contract and while GPs are providing vaccinations nationally. However when services are transferred we expect practices to retain the nursing and other staff paid for by these services and to support the development of their roles so that GPs can focus on what they do best.

To ensure practice income stability as services are transferred, a mechanism based on historic payment levels has been created while the vaccinations are on-going on a national basis. This is on the basis of a three year average of income from a particular vaccination service and will commence where Integration Authorities and practices are agreed that a particular vaccination service has successfully been transferred from delivery by the practice.

The arrangements are set out here - PCA(M)(2019)03 - Transferred services residuals (scot.nhs.uk)

Where there is no agreement that a particular vaccination service has successfully been transferred from delivery by the practice, GP practices will not be paid if they do not support the Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunisation programme.

The above arrangements do not apply to the COVID-19 immunisation programme which is a new programme. GPs are paid a fee per vaccine delivered and do not get paid if they do not deliver under the national arrangements.

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