FAQs

No. Where eligible frontline patient-facing staff are administered an influenza vaccination by their employing practice, the practice will NOT be eligible for reimbursement of the influenza vaccine cost nor an IoS payment. Therefore, practices must not record any vaccination administered to staff as part of this occupational health offer in the GP IT clinical system or PoC system in a way that would be extracted for a CQRS payment.

This is with the exception of where the eligible frontline patient-facing staff member is either:

1. eligible under the NHS influenza programme due to age or clinical risk AND is a registered patient at their employing practice,
   
2. or a GP locum.

As the practice will not be eligible for reimbursement of the influenza vaccine cost nor an IoS payment for Occupational Health activity, you could consider:

• Encouraging staff eligible for the NHS national seasonal influenza vaccination programme to attend their registered GP practice or a community pharmacist to obtain their immunisation.
  • As you may not be aware whether staff are eligible or not; this should be given as generic advice.
    
• Frontline staff can be vaccinated at their own practice or at a pharmacy.
  
• Heales Medical provides OH assessments, and vaccinations and immunisations for General Practitioners on the Medical Performers List. They also provide advice on exposure to blood borne viruses for all primary care staff (including General Practitioners).
  
• You may have commissioned an OH Service for those staff not on the Medical Performers List; if this service offers seasonal flu immunisation, this service could be used.
  
• Practices could adapt the national PHE PGD and named nurse(s) within the practice can then vaccinate practice staff; a GP within the practice needs to sign the PGD and thereby assume responsibility for this administration.
  
• Practices could purchase vaccination vouchers for staff.

Options for GP practices providing influenza vaccination to staff

• Practices can adapt the national PHE PGD and named nurse(s) within the practice can then vaccinate practice staff; a GP within the practice needs to sign the PGD and thereby assume responsibility for this administration.
  
• An appropriate registered clinician could generate a Patient-Specific Direction (PSD) for each staff member to be immunised.
  
• Keep a record of the immunisation.
  
• Ensure confidentiality of the staff members clinical information
  
• Check CNSGP cover for OH vaccinations
  
• Remember the practice will NOT be eligible for reimbursement of the influenza vaccine cost nor an IoS payment for OH vaccinations unless an exemption applies.

Written Instruction for the administration of seasonal ‘flu vaccinations can be seen here

You can find out more about flu vouchers here.

Pending written confirmation from CNSGP for 2026/27.

Surrey and Sussex LMCs has written to CNSGP to ask for confirmation for the 2026/27 years.

Cover for the 2025/26 years can be seen on the GNSGP FAQs page and scope documents.

49. Claims for activity related to the administration of seasonal vaccinations must be submitted on the relevant system as soon as possible. Practices must validate and submit a claim to the Commissioner for payment within three months of the date of the administration of the completing dose of the vaccine as outlined in Section 10 of the COVID-19 and Adult Seasonal Influenza ES.

NHS England » General practice: Seasonal Vaccination Programmes – additional guidance 2026/27

25. If a patient changes practice after a seasonal vaccine was administered and within the reporting period, the practice where the patient is registered at the extraction date following the end of the monthly reporting period is the practice that will be paid for any vaccination provided to that patient.  

NHS England » General practice: Seasonal Vaccination Programmes – additional guidance 2026/27

Pharmacy contractors will be commissioned under an advanced service for COVID-19 vaccinations from April 2026. As is the case now, where a pharmacy contractor wants to provide the COVID-19 vaccination service, they will also be required to deliver the flu vaccination service.

Amongst the key changes from 01 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 outlined in the National letter to Community Pharmacy was the increasing the adult flu item of service fee from £9.58 to £10.06 in line with the GP arrangements.

Like general pracitce there will no longer be an additional £10 payment for the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations to housebound people. Pharmacy contractors will be able to claim £8.70 per vaccine administered between 1 September 2026 and 31 January 2027 while the flu vaccination campaign is underway; and £10.06 outside the flu vaccination campaign.

Yes. To help support improvements in access and uptake, community pharmacies will be able to offer children flu vaccinations during the 2026 to 2027 flu season in line with the Community pharmacy childhood seasonal influenza vaccination advanced service specification from the 01 October 2026.

They will also be able to offer vaccinations to children who miss their vaccinations at school from 01 December 2026.

The specifications can be seen on our signposting page.

GP Practices and Community Pharmacy colleagues are equally at liberty to advertise and promote their immunisation services and we would encourage you to pro-actively do so, but both the LMCs and Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex would urge colleagues not to express this in ways that undermine the other’s professionalism in the eyes of each other and their patients, this includes activity that could be perceived as actively enticing patients to attend one practice over another provider.

The Community Pharmacy England guidance states that Pharmacists are required to include an anaphylaxis pack as part of their preparation to provide the flu service in the pharmacy or offsite. They refer to the National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Vaccination Training – GOV.UK

Since 2020, the Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Advanced Service Specification enabled community pharmacies to vaccinate in the pharmacy premises, but also in other suitable locations, such as in the Patient’s home, a long-stay care home, a long-stay residential facility or community venues (e.g. community centres).

The pharmacy contractor must obtain consent from the commissioner if they wish to carry out vaccinations off of the pharmacy premises.