How to maximise your practice flu vaccination income

For the 2022/23 flu season, target groups have returned to pre-pandemic specification, once again excluding 50–64-year-olds and children in school years 7-11, who were temporarily added for the previous year.

But while the eligible cohort may have decreased, there is still around £10,000 of income available for the average practice of 5,000 patients if they meet the target for inviting 100% of their eligible patients for a flu vaccination.

So, how can practices effectively maximise that income? Dr John Allingham, a GP in Leeds, shares some helpful tips:

• Run conveyor-belt clinics which will get people through fast and early, which should help some practices get people vaccinated before the local pharmacies.
• Keep on top of any address and phone number changes.
• Book patients in directly to clinics by phoning those in the target groups.
• Many eligible patients will also be on repeat prescriptions. Use this as an opportunity to remind patients about vaccinations by leaving messages on the right-hand side of the prescription.
• Put up posters in the practice waiting room from August onwards.
• Change the greeting message on the practice phone to include a reminder.
• Put an advert in a local paper. This may be more cost effective if local practices joined together and split the cost.
• Take the vaccine on home visits to known target patients, but remember to phone ahead beforehand.
• Remember the less obvious groups. Good coding for pregnant women and cooperation with midwives helps. Also make sure under-18s who are at-risk are also coded. Occupational coding for healthcare workers in the target groups might also be helpful.
• Match appointments to vaccine availability and try to use it as fast as possible, both to beat the pharmacists and clear space in the fridge.
• Remember to code those refusing the vaccine, as this helps with QOF targets and further boosts practice income.

Last flu season, practices maintained a record level of flu vaccination uptake among over-65s, despite low uptake among pregnant women, according to data gathered from general practices in England.

A version of this story was previously published in Pulse Intelligence. To see the full article see pulse-intelligence.co.uk

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