The service specification and Patient Group Direction (PGD) for the community pharmacy Flu Vaccination Advanced Service 2016/17 have today been published. The specification and PGD set out information about provision of the service and they should be read alongside PSNC’s detailed guidance on the service (also published today).
Service Specification for the Flu Vaccination Advanced Service 2016/17
PGD for the Flu Vaccination Advanced Service 2016/17
PSNC Briefing 040/16: Guidance on the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service 2016/17
The documents explain what community pharmacy contractors need to do to offer the service, including how to confirm that their premises are appropriate, pharmacist training and Declaration of Competence requirements, data capture and sharing of information, vaccine storage, gaining patient consent, GP notification and claiming payments.
Publication of the service specification, PGD and the PSNC guidance means that contractors now have further information on the service to use in finalising their preparations for provision of the service.
However, contractors will not be able to begin providing the service and vaccinating patients until amendments to The Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services) (England) Directions 2013 (the Directions) have been made which provide the legal basis for provision of the service.
We expect the NHS to confirm it has taken the final steps to allow the service to begin later this week and we will email again when we know this has happened.
PSNC’s detailed guidance document will support the preparation process for the Flu Vaccination Service and it includes a checklist which contractors can print out and work through to ensure they have everything they need in place to successfully provide the service.
Commenting on the publication of the service documents, Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at PSNC, said:
“The publication of the service specification and the PGD will now allow pharmacy teams to finalise preparations for the launch of the service. We expect the outstanding regulatory matter to be confirmed later this week and hope community pharmacies will be in a position to begin vaccinating patients from 1st September.
Contractors will need to take some time to finalise their preparations and get everything in place, but our guidance talks them through this step by step so we hope it won’t to be too arduous. You can also sign up to our webinar tomorrow evening (Wednesday 24th August) to help plan your implementation of the service. Many contractors will have experience in delivering the national service last year and locally commissioned flu vaccination services and will be able to prepare very quickly, so we’re really looking forward to hearing about the first patients receiving their national NHS flu vaccinations from community pharmacies very soon after the service launches.
Although this is the second year of the national Flu Vaccination Service, it is just as important as last year to make the most of this opportunity. Community pharmacy needs to show the difference the sector can make and we are looking forward to seeing if the sector can improve on the number of patients vaccinated under the service last year.
Throughout the flu season we will be keen to promote examples of best practice so please do let us and your LPC know how you are getting on with the service.”
Service Specification for the Flu Vaccination Advanced Service 2016/17
PGD for the Flu Vaccination Advanced Service 2016/17
PSNC Briefing 040/16: Guidance on the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service 2016/17
The documents explain what community pharmacy contractors need to do to offer the service, including how to confirm that their premises are appropriate, pharmacist training and Declaration of Competence requirements, data capture and sharing of information, vaccine storage, gaining patient consent, GP notification and claiming payments.
Publication of the service specification, PGD and the PSNC guidance means that contractors now have further information on the service to use in finalising their preparations for provision of the service.
However, contractors will not be able to begin providing the service and vaccinating patients until amendments to The Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services) (England) Directions 2013 (the Directions) have been made which provide the legal basis for provision of the service.
We expect the NHS to confirm it has taken the final steps to allow the service to begin later this week and we will email again when we know this has happened.
PSNC’s detailed guidance document will support the preparation process for the Flu Vaccination Service and it includes a checklist which contractors can print out and work through to ensure they have everything they need in place to successfully provide the service.
Commenting on the publication of the service documents, Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at PSNC, said:
“The publication of the service specification and the PGD will now allow pharmacy teams to finalise preparations for the launch of the service. We expect the outstanding regulatory matter to be confirmed later this week and hope community pharmacies will be in a position to begin vaccinating patients from 1st September.
Contractors will need to take some time to finalise their preparations and get everything in place, but our guidance talks them through this step by step so we hope it won’t to be too arduous. You can also sign up to our webinar tomorrow evening (Wednesday 24th August) to help plan your implementation of the service. Many contractors will have experience in delivering the national service last year and locally commissioned flu vaccination services and will be able to prepare very quickly, so we’re really looking forward to hearing about the first patients receiving their national NHS flu vaccinations from community pharmacies very soon after the service launches.
Although this is the second year of the national Flu Vaccination Service, it is just as important as last year to make the most of this opportunity. Community pharmacy needs to show the difference the sector can make and we are looking forward to seeing if the sector can improve on the number of patients vaccinated under the service last year.
Throughout the flu season we will be keen to promote examples of best practice so please do let us and your LPC know how you are getting on with the service.”
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