The message to give to patients:
Travel vaccinations are considered a low clinical priority, set against the context of the wider pandemic NHS recovery, patient access, long term condition management workforce shortages. However we recognise that they remain important to our patients, so we protect a proportion of nurse time to deliver these.
We will endeavour to do what we can, but given the wider demands on our time which are clinically urgent, you may be advised that the time window for your vaccinations is inconvenient for your travel plans. In this scenario if we have no availability to accommodate your needs, we will signpost you to local private travel providers, who may also be able to serve any additional needs for e.g. Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis; meningitis vaccines; rabies; tuberculosis (TB) and yellow fever.
To mitigate complaints, reception staff are fully informed, and information above is on the practice websites.
We are not going to promote this travel vaccine service.
Website to direct patients to for information:
Travel vaccinations – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Vaccinations that must be given free of charge
The following vaccinations must be given as part of NHS provision and no fee can be charged to a registered patient:
- Cholera
- Hepatitis A
- Poliomyelitis
- Typhoid
Vaccinations that are not free of charge on the NHS and can therefore be declined or signposted elsewhere are:
- Hepatitis B
- Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis
- Meningitis vaccines
- Rabies
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Yellow fever (only available in designated centres)
Questions to ask when booking appointment
When do you travel? If less than a month can’t do
How many in the family registered at the practice are travelling? To decide how long the appointment needs to be. 20mins if 1 patient, 30mins if more than 1.
Where are you travelling to? Multiple destinations? Information for the PN
How long will you be away? Information for the PN
The process
Patient contacts the surgery
If they are a month prior to travel a 20minute telephone appointment can be booked with Dawn, Emma, Rhiann or Zoe.
Once the PN has done the travel assessment they will then book a face-to-face appointment with themselves. 10mins if 1 patient, 20 mins if more than 1.
The PN will order the vaccines required ready for administering to the patient/s when they attend.
PNs will use the TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) website to gather information and provide written information for the patient.
PNs will use Travel Vaccinations (Ardens) template to record both the telephone and face-to-face consultations.