Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Why can boots get the flu vaccine but GP can't

74 replies

Toastytoads · 25/09/2021 17:51

Just that really, my surgery were saying they are delayed and we have to wait. Booked myself and elderly parents in at boots and we all manage to have it? Seems odd.

OP posts:
thelastgoldeneagle · 25/09/2021 19:16

My GP did. Had mine 2 weeks ago.

Musicaltheatremum · 25/09/2021 19:17

@Leftbutcameback

Thanks to the pp who shared that GPs get bonuses for flu jabs - didn't know that so happy to wait for mine. Flu season isn't for some time and I don't usually get one until later October anyway. Our GPs do an amazing job with the admin and have volunteers to get it all done. Previously I've been given mine by my GP if I happened to have an appointment with him at the right time. He offered and it seemed efficient to say yes!
We don't get "bonuses" we get paid to do the extra work on top of our absolutely horrendous volume of day to day work. Honestly I'm fed up with the misinformation spouted online about GP funding and work load. I had the worst ever day of my GP career of 30 years yesterday.
Junobug · 25/09/2021 19:24

I'm not completely sure with surgeries but I think pharmacies have to order (and pay for) flu jabs in spring so they kind of have to predict how many they can use, hope that they can use them all and that the predicted strain is correct. The manufacturers then send them out in batches and there are countless delays every year so when you get an appointment cancelled, its most likely that they haven't turned up when promised.
Both pharmacy's and surgeries get paid for providing the service and both generally hate the other doing it and think they should be the one's doing more.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
butterpuffed · 25/09/2021 19:26

Sorry to hear that @Musicaltheatremum . I hope you know that a huge number of us really appreciate all the hard work you GPs do.

Sweetnhappy1 · 25/09/2021 19:27

Different suppliers. This happened earlier this month: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58446539.amp

We got our supply delivered this week so have just been able to start

BungleandGeorge · 25/09/2021 19:32

@Musicaltheatremum in England there are QIPP bonuses in addition to cost of giving the vaccine so based on % registered patients who’ve had it (whether that be hospital, pharmacy, GP). No idea about the devolved nations

BungleandGeorge · 25/09/2021 19:34

I would point out that the delays are due to the HGV/Brexit delays and not within control of GP or pharmacy!

RagzReturnsRebooted · 25/09/2021 19:37

Ordering happens in different ways, ours for the GP surgery are supplied through some national system and of course being the NHS we get screwed over, whereas the pharmacy can order directly from the manufacturer.

As a PP mentioned, there is a reimbursement for flu jabs so the GP surgery will be missing out if people get it st the pharmacy (who can also claim reimbursement for eligible patients).

Annoyingly, we were told ours would be two weeks late so moved all our clinics (hundreds of patients already booked) and then were contacted weeks later to say they weren't that late after all.
Cost us a lot of time to rearrange them all...

BungleandGeorge · 25/09/2021 20:08

@RagzReturnsRebooted

Ordering happens in different ways, ours for the GP surgery are supplied through some national system and of course being the NHS we get screwed over, whereas the pharmacy can order directly from the manufacturer.

As a PP mentioned, there is a reimbursement for flu jabs so the GP surgery will be missing out if people get it st the pharmacy (who can also claim reimbursement for eligible patients).

Annoyingly, we were told ours would be two weeks late so moved all our clinics (hundreds of patients already booked) and then were contacted weeks later to say they weren't that late after all.
Cost us a lot of time to rearrange them all...

QOF flu targets are based on % of registered patients who have had it. Pharmacy gives it- they get reimbursed (at a lower rate than GP) for giving the vaccine and GP gets QOF points GP gives it- they get reimbursed for giving the vaccine and get QOF points Hospital/ employer gives it- employer pays for vaccine plus GP gets QOF points

Not really losing out are you?

I used to go to the GP, they were unfortunately appalling and their stock control and booking system so poor that I didn’t manage to get it some years (they are CQC inadequate). The consent was basically just reading and signing a form no questions asked and you would queue in a very long queue for ages.
Since it costs the NHS about the same amount I’d say the competition in this instance is a very good thing.

Porridgealert · 25/09/2021 20:53

@Musicaltheatremum. Sometimes we, (general public) moan about the NHS, sometimes for good reasons (!), but we do know that all the medical staff do want for the best for us and work hard to that end. Honestly, you are appreciated.

PheasantsNest · 25/09/2021 21:48

@TroysMammy I went to our flu clinic today there were 12 doctors and 6 nurses there. It's the same for the next 5 Saturdays.

MadisonAvenue · 25/09/2021 22:18

@BungleandGeorge

I would point out that the delays are due to the HGV/Brexit delays and not within control of GP or pharmacy!
It’s been the same for the last two years where the surgery we use is concerned. The vaccines for the over 65s arrive early (they started to hold clinics last weekend) but the delay is with the vaccine for under 65s.

I’m eligible for a free under 65s flu jab, as are our two sons, and I had a text last week inviting me to call and book. I waited in a queue for 45 minutes only to be told that the text had been sent in error and they have no idea when they’ll be vaccinating under 65s. I was told to call back at the end of this week but they still don’t know when they’ll be getting a delivery.
Up until perhaps three years ago we were always vaccinated at the surgery before the end of September.

We’ve booked at Sainsbury’s pharmacy for early October instead.

Porridgealert · 25/09/2021 22:26

@BungleandGeorge

I would point out that the delays are due to the HGV/Brexit delays and not within control of GP or pharmacy!
You talk like delays are a new thing. There were delays in 2019 before Bexit and Covid as well. I know because the pharmacist where I went had enough supplies for two days and didn't know when more were being delivered and they were cancelling appointments. It happens every year.
Tinpotspectator · 26/09/2021 02:12

Honestly I'm fed up with the misinformation spouted online about GP funding and work load.

Me too. Seems odd to me, and very current, for some reason.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 26/09/2021 02:59

I had a private one on Wednesday at Boots, booked in July and prepaid £14.99 at the time. Mine went ahead but they have cancelled most of the NHS free ones.

Porridgealert · 26/09/2021 05:32

@CeeceeBloomingdale

I had a private one on Wednesday at Boots, booked in July and prepaid £14.99 at the time. Mine went ahead but they have cancelled most of the NHS free ones.
It's free for anyone over 50. I had mine done at Boots 10 days ago but they charged me because I'm not 65 and they'd been told anyone under 65 has to pay. They then contacted me a week later to say they got it wrong and to call in for a refund.

I tried to book my DH in who is over 65 and there are no appointments but there are appointments available for people under 65. I think it's because they use different vaccines for the two age groups and perhaps they've run out of the over 65 vaccine? But they are definitely still doing the over 50 free ones round here.

butterpuffed · 26/09/2021 05:37

Cheaper at Asda [£8] and Tesco [£9].
I always use Asda, mine's free. Put my name on the list Monday before last, they rang me the next evening, had it done on the Wednesday.

Porridgealert · 26/09/2021 05:42

@Tinpotspectator

Honestly I'm fed up with the misinformation spouted online about GP funding and work load.

Me too. Seems odd to me, and very current, for some reason.

I think, to be fair, people said they'd wait to have it done at the gps because they thought that would give the practice extra funding and it would be helpful. They weren't saying it to make extra work for gps.
MinnieMountain · 26/09/2021 07:01

I was going to mention Asda. Boots’ system wouldn’t let me re-book mine as I’d had to cancel it. I was pleasantly surprised by Asda.

cptartapp · 26/09/2021 07:12

We do not get bonuses. It's payment as a pp said for extra work which pays the surgery's running costs and staff wages etc.
Three senior staff with over 100 years experience between them all left this month. None replaced so far. Any delay won't be due to lack of vaccines, it'll be lack of bodies available to administer them. And GP's do work in flu clinics. Horrendous times in primary care.
Practice nurse.

gogohm · 26/09/2021 07:19

I'm booked for 3 weeks, but they have been doing them for 2 weeks so far at the gp, they only vaccinate flu one day per week though due to staffing

Fluffycloudland77 · 26/09/2021 07:43

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/

A lot of people qualify for a free jab but might not realise it.

Leftbutcameback · 27/09/2021 11:21

I'm really sorry - I didn't mean to insult anyone or spread information. I should have said that the GP surgeries are paid to provide this valuable service. That's what I meant.

Leftbutcameback · 27/09/2021 11:39

misinformation

New posts on this thread. Refresh page