BMA demands investigation into vaccination programme ‘mismanagement’
The BMA’s GP Committee (GPC) has demanded an investigation into the Government and NHS England’s ‘mismanagement’ of this year’s vaccination programmes.
A motion was passed at the GPC England meeting today which called for a review of the ‘circumstances which led to muddled and mismanaged communications’ and for reflection on how to ‘prevent a repeat occurrence’.
Last month, there was confusion over the start date for the adult flu and Covid vaccination programmes, which usually start in September.
NHS England said the programmes would start in October this year – a move which the BMA said would cause ‘serious disruption’.
But the Government then announced that vaccination will begin on 11 September, in what the BMA has called a ‘u-turn’, following the identification of a new Covid variant.
GPs were asked to vaccinate ‘as many people as possible’ by the end of October.
The GPC has said today that these ‘conflicting instructions’ led to confusion among GPs while also impacting on patient safety.
Source: Pulse, 21 September 2023