How to register for a vaccine

[Tangledmother]

My other half commutes to the UK for work with PCR testing etc. He has an NHS no. which we cannot find, and pays all his tax and has a national insurance no there aswell. We live in Ireland, my query is, where do I find his NHS no. and how can I get him registered for his vaccine? I have been trying to find out to no avail. He lived and was a property owner 20 years ago in the UK . Thanks in advance

Does he have a GP? The rollout is happening via GP surgeries

Also why can’t he do this himself?

An NHS number won't automatically make him eligible - it's residency.

Yes I agree with PP. Use of NHS resources is for those who are “ordinarily resident” in the UK, so it sounds like he won’t qualify.

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/

He would need to be resident OP. Sorry.

Why can't he have it in Ireland?

Surely he would be entitled to have it in Ireland? How is it being administered there? His local doctor's surgery would be the 1st port of call maybe?

www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/rollout-covid-19-vaccines-ireland.html

Looks like it's similar to the UK, they will let him know when his group is eligible for the vaccine.

Thank you all for replying, I figured it was GP led and yes he is entitled here but our vaccination programme is nowhere near as efficient at the rollout at the minute. As he spends 5 days a week in the UK i just thought he might qualify. I decided to research it , that is why I'm asking! He's happy to wait until the rollout happens here.

Does he have a GP? The rollout is happening via GP surgeries

Not always. I am going to have mine at Sheffield Arena.

You need to be registered with a GP whether or not you have it via your GP. Does he have a UK GP? If not, get him registered then he'll become eligible. They'll be able to find his NHS number.

Yes has to be registered with aGP. Does he have a UK address? If so could he register with a go surgery and get on the vaccine list that way?

In principle, you don’t have to be registered with a GP. You need to be temporarily or permanently registered in England. Nationality isn’t an eligibility criterion either. Personally I think if he is spending 5 out of 7 days a week in England then that is pretty “resident”. From a public health perspective, it’s also better if people who are here 5 out of 7 days get vaccinated.

The issue is that it practice it makes it a lot easier to access the vaccine if you are registered with a GP. If you use the link in Wilkolampshade’s post to find his NHS number then he can book at a pharmacy-led site or mass vaccs centre via the National Booking Service link here. It says you have to be registered with a GP but I’m pretty sure you can just book with your NHS number.

@Wigeon

In principle, you don’t have to be registered with a GP. You need to be temporarily or permanently registered in England. Nationality isn’t an eligibility criterion either. Personally I think if he is spending 5 out of 7 days a week in England then that is pretty “resident”. From a public health perspective, it’s also better if people who are here 5 out of 7 days get vaccinated.

The issue is that it practice it makes it a lot easier to access the vaccine if you are registered with a GP. If you use the link in Wilkolampshade’s post to find his NHS number then he can book at a pharmacy-led site or mass vaccs centre via the National Booking Service link here. It says you have to be registered with a GP but I’m pretty sure you can just book with your NHS number.

Are you sure? I'm a GP and thought you definitely do need to be registered but I'm wondering if I'm missing something?

www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/privacy-notice/national-flu-vaccination-programme/

The national programme gets it's information from GP computer systems as described in that link I posted.

You definitely don’t need to be registered with a GP, or even have an NHS number, to be eligible for the vaccine. The technical reason is in the Covid vaccination Enhanced Service specification for GPs, which sets out eligibility, describing both “registered patients” and “unregistered patients” as being eligible. This is particularly important in the case of many vulnerable groups, eg homeless people, who may not be registered with a GP, or other groups, eg foreign national NHS nurses, who in fact are also sometimes not registered with a GP and don’t have an NHS number as they’ve never used the NHS themselves. But they will all be eligible, when their JCVI cohort becomes eligible.

The practical reasons why it’s a lot easier if people either are registered with a GP or have an NHS number are:

You need an NHS number to be invited through the National Booking System, or to book through it. It therefore can’t invite everyone eligible. But that only covers pharmacy and mass vaccs sites.

It’s obviously a lot easier for GPs to invite people on their registered list. But people not on their list may also be eligible and they are allowed to vaccinate them.

@wigeon thanks for clarifying, that makes sense!