Kent GPs criticise Covid booster funding cuts

The NHS is aiming to deliver flu and Covid vaccines at the same time

A group of Kent-based GPs has criticised NHS funding cuts to Covid boosters, warning it could affect people's take-up of the vaccine.

GPs and pharmacies are due to deliver the vaccine from October.

But a 25% funding cut could make roll-out from this autumn "financially unviable", according to Dr Gaurav Gupta, the chair of the Kent Local Medical Committee (KLMC).

NHS England did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.

However, it told the British Medical Association (BMA) the revised fee would cover the average vaccination cost.

The fee that NHS England is paying surgeries and pharmacies to deliver vaccines has been reduced from £10.06 in 2022 to £7.54 this year.

An NHS England spokesperson responded to BMA criticism that this "undervalues general practice and threatens the safety of vulnerable patients".

"The revised fee will sufficiently cover the average cost of vaccinating someone against Covid as part of what is now a more predictable, seasonal offer," an NHS spokesperson said.

But Jack Jacobs, a GP in Ashford and medical director of KLMC, said he was concerned "we may not be able to afford to pay the staff we need to run the vaccination sites".

"Our costs haven't gone down, they've gone up," he said. "We want to do this, but we can't."

Dr Jacobs said he was concerned he may not be able to afford to pay staff to run the vaccination sites

He said many practices across Kent and Medway did not want "to take the financial risk" of delivering the Covid vaccine.

Cuts to funding could result in a frustrating experience for patients, Dr Jacobs said, adding that it may lead them to "lose faith" in their GPs.

This could result in a drop in vaccination take-up, he added.

From October, a Covid booster will be available for adults aged 65 or over or those in a clinical risk group.

The eligibility criteria has narrowed following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Dr Sara Pitt, a virologist from University of Brighton, said the number of Covid cases was already "beginning to creep up" with reports of a new sub-variant - Eris.

"If you're eligible for the vaccine, you should definitely take it," she added.

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