GPs to be paid £5.25 for each swine flu vaccination
Government to pay GPs £5.25 for every swine flu vaccination administered
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By Matt Fortune. |  |
Monday, 14, Sep 2009 10:14
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
The government will pay GPs £5.25 every time they vaccinate a patient against the swine flu virus, it was announced today.
Under the new vaccination deal, 14 million people considered the most at risk will be advised to visit their GP to receive the jab.
The vaccine, two doses of which will be necessary, is yet to be validated but could be as early as October.
Today's deal comes after talks between the Department of Health, the GP committee of the British Medical Association and NHS employers.
Health secretary Andy Burnham, whose department will fund the £5.25 individual payment, said the arrangement was "great news for patients".
"The vaccine is the best line of defence against this virus and I would strongly urge all of those in the at-risk groups, as well as frontline health and social care workers to have the vaccine," he said.
Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GP committee added:
"We are confident that GPs and their teams will have the resources they need in order to run the swine flu vaccination programme smoothly and efficiently."
Those with existing health problems and pregnant women are among those being advised to receive the vaccine at first.