GPS to drop over-75s’ health checks for jabs
GPS have been told they can stop carrying out routine health checks on over75s in order to speed up the rollout of booster vaccines.
A deal negotiated with doctors’ unions means thousands of GPS will continue to be paid for such duties regardless, as well as receiving bonuses for administering jabs.
Last weekend, Boris Johnson called for the rollout of boosters to be accelerated, to strengthen defences against the omicron variant.
All eligible over-18s have now been promised a third jab, with the minimum gap between doses reduced from six months to three.
But a letter from senior health officials, published last night, reveals that it could take another week before the changes begin to be introduced.
The timescale, after almost a week of negotiations with the British Medical Association, means the rollout is unlikely to reach cohorts below the age of 40 before Christmas.
It comes as documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) predict that it will take “at least a further five years for Covid-19 to settle to a predictable endemic state”. The papers by SPI-M , a sub-group of Sage, suggest “active management” including booster jabs and testing could be needed for up to a decade.
“Repeated vaccination may be required to maintain sufficient vaccinederived immunity for future Covid-19 control,” the papers state, adding: “It is a realistic possibility that, over the next five years, there will be epidemics of sufficient size to overwhelm health and care services.”
Health officials have been locked in talks with the union since ministers
announced plans to speed up the rollout of booster jabs.
Earlier this week, Dr Farah Jameel, chairman of the union’s GP committee, said family doctors did not have “any capacity” to help with the rollout, urging health officials to free them from other requirements.
Last night, health officials announced that terms had been agreed, with GPS told that until April they will have their “income protected” for much of their routine work, regardless of whether it is carried out. Annual health checks for the over-75s, which assess physical health, mobility and memory, are among those that GPS can stop performing, along with monitoring millions of people with conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.
Minor surgery can also be stopped but will still be funded, as long as GPS use the time they would have spent on the procedures administering vaccines, the new rules state.
Those who take part in the booster rollout will receive £15 per jab, with rates of £20 at weekends, and £30 for home visits. Earlier this week the head of the NHS revealed that the rates had been increased to ensure GPS were “properly rewarded”.
Last night, patients’ groups raised concerns that the changes would worsen access to GPS for patients seeking help for non-covid medical reasons.
Dennis Reed, from Silver Voices, a campaign group for the elderly, said: “I am very worried about this. We have had all this talk about improving access to face-to-face appointments with GPS, but now instead they can stop carrying out health checks and still be paid for them. It looks like the BMA has ministers and officials over a barrel.”
He also questioned why GPS were being offered “money for nothing,” on top of funding for every jab administered.
On Wednesday, Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said “there was nothing more important” than the booster rollout as he confirmed he was “revisiting” the workload of family doctors, and pledged to increase the number of patients being seen face-to-face. Last night, he wrote an open “thank you” letter to GPS, thanking them for “outstanding” care for patients and support delivering the vaccination programme.
The programme is administering just 2.6million vaccines a week. Ministers want to see it return to previous rates of more than 3.5 million jabs weekly.
The letter from Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS, to GP practices and NHS trusts, follows promises by officials to recruit 10,000 vaccinators, with volunteers urged to come forward to speed up the rollout. Some areas have been forced to cancel jabs because of a lack of volunteers.
In the letter, officials also urge clinical students and senior staff with a medical background to join efforts.
Dr Gary Howsam, vice-chairman of the Royal College of GPS, said: “These are sensible, temporary measures that will address some of the bureaucratic demands on practices and have minimal impact on the care patients receive in general practice, allowing GPS and our teams to focus their efforts where currently most clinically necessary.”