GPs need guidelines to identify clinically vulnerable patients

Dr Gary Howsam, Vice Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "The RCGP agrees with the JCVI that offering vaccinations to at-risk 12-15 year olds is a sensible measure in order to protect them from Covid-19.

"However, identifying a certain group of patients in order to contact them in an efficient way is a complicated process and GP practices are currently awaiting the appropriate search guidelines to allow us to do so. If this were to be done without these guidelines, it would be an extremely time-consuming process at a time when GPs and our teams are working under considerable workload and workforce pressures delivering vital care and services to patients."

"We have been assured that the appropriate search guidelines will be available soon and would like to reassure parents of eligible children that they will be invited in due course. We would urge them to wait until they receive an invitation, and not contact their GP practice directly to arrange a vaccination, so that we can continue to deliver patient services as efficiently as possible."

"GPs and our teams have been instrumental to the success of the Covid vaccination programme, with around two thirds of vaccines delivered in primary care - this is on top of delivering record numbers of patient consultations over recent months and being at the heart of supporting communities to recover from the pandemic."

Further information

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RCGP Press office – 020 3188 7633/7494/7574
Out of hours: 020 3188 7659 
press@rcgp.org.uk

Note to editor

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 53,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.