November 20, 2020: You will no doubt have heard in the media this morning, that those aged 50-64 years will be able to receive a flu vaccine from December 1, 2020. GPs are learning this information at the same time as you, so no, we have not been told anything!
Practices are doing all they can to prepare and source vaccines, they will be in contact with patients as soon as they are able. In the meantime please do not contact us about flu vaccines if you are in this group until you are asked to do so - we have no information to give you.
We are extremely frustrated that the Department of Health chooses to use the media to release soundbites to the public about initiatives rather than inform and involve the very staff who will be needed to carry out such plans.
As soon as we hear anything formally, we will update this page.
It's become clear patients are receiving letters from NHS England reminding them to have a flu jab, along with a second piece of paper asking patients to help the NHS cut down the use of paper... Hmmm.
We haven't asked for these letters to be sent out and don't know why they have been sent. The letters have caused a great deal of confusion and extra work for everyone.
It's also been apparent that letters have been sent out to patients who are NOT eligible and also to those who have already had the jab.
Please be assured that the practice carries out its own recall for eligible patients requiring flu jabs and we have been sending out our own invites and reminders by letter, text and/or phone calls.
If you have previously had an invite or reminder from us, but have not had a flu jab, please ring us to book for a flu jab straight away, before we run out of stocks.
Everyone else, please ignore. Please do not contact us. We have things in hand.
You may receive a letter informing you of the need to attend for a flu jab if you have liver disease, a neurological (brain/nerves) disease or have a suppressed immune system.
These letters, which are being sent to patients who are already eligible for a flu jab, are part of a government/public health initiative. The letters are designed to reinforce the need to have a flu jab in these groups of patients.
If you have already booked for a flu jab, please still attend. The letter doesn't change anything and you can safely ignore it. Please do not contact us.
If you have not booked for a flu jab, please consider booking for one before we run out of stocks.
If you dispute your diagnosis and are not sure why you have received a letter, then do contact us, but please bear in mind, you will already have had invite for a flu jab based on what was already in your medical record, so this letter has not been sent to you on the basis of any new information.
We hope this clarifies the situation and apologise for any confusion.
Flu clinic dates have been confifmed. Please save the dates:
We are currently in the process of chasing up those eligible patients who have still not received a flu jab - look out for your invite if you are one of these.
With regard to the additional cohort of those aged 50-64 years, we understand that this group MAY be offered vaccination subject to the at-risk groups being vaccinated first and there being sufficient central supply of vaccine - we will not be inviting this group until we receive formal notification.
We have now received stock of all flu vaccinations (under 65s jabs, over 65s jabsand nasal flu vaccination for children). Please book your appointment now.
Unlike previous years where eligible patients simply turned up to one of our flu clinics, this year, due to coronavirus, we need to maintain social distancing and carefully monitor flu stocks, therefore all eligible patients receiving an invite must now book an appointment for a flu jab - please choose one of the two options below. We are extremely busy booking appointments, so please bear with us - see the red box below.
We encourage all patients to review the procedure for attending flu clinic below.
Please ring the dedicated flu line on 01773 514130.
Please complete our online flu jab appointment request form at the bottom of this page or type the shortcut ivy.gs/bookjab to reach this section of the page directly. We will review your response and text or email you back with an allocated appointment slot.
We may have to limit the maximum number of form submissions each day. If you find the form is closed, please try again later as the form will re-open for submissions on a daily basis.
There is high demand for booking flu appointments this year. Therefore there might be a delay in answering or responding to your call. Please bear with us during this time - we will aim to get round to everybody in due course.
If you have any difficulties, please do not attend surgery in person to book.
We do realise making sure you get your flu vaccination is very important for everyone, however, we must maintain the safety of our staff and other patients, as well as prioritise other ongoing clinical work besides booking flu jab appointments.
Coronavirus COVID-19 has meant that we must carry out flu clinic a little differently this year. Please familiarise yourself with the procedure below:
Download an information booklet .
You can have the flu jab if you are in these groups (example conditions are shown under each category):
Department of Health guidance forms the main basis for the eligibility criteria shown above. Criteria are subject to change according to latest medical guidance and eligibility for flu jabs is at the discretion of the doctor based on his or her clinical judgement
The following groups cannot have a flu jab at the surgery, but may be eligible elsewhere, such as from employer or school
© Dr Michael Wong 2020