TRAVEL ADVICE/VACCINATIONS September 2024
Travel vaccine appointments at the GP Practice are not considered as urgent or take priority and therefore the patient may need to wait some time for a Nurse appointment if any of the free vaccines listed below are required. Nurse appointments are limited and we have to prioritise nursing appointments for clinical care such as childhood immunisations and smear tests being a priority.
If patients are planning on a trip, they should first consult one of the following websites for advice as to which vaccinations are needed:
- Fit for Travel https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations
- Travel Health Pro https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/
Some vaccines for travel are administered free of charge on the NHS. These are as follows:
- Typhoid – lasts 3 years
- Hepatitis A – lasts up to 25 years
- Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DPT) – lasts 10 years
Any other vaccinations will need to be obtained from private travel clinics for which there will be a charge. A number of local pharmacies provide Travel clinics.
If you require one or more of the free NHS vaccinations listed above, please submit an on-line request via PATCHS (via Headstoneroadsurgery@nhs.net website) at least 6 weeks prior to travel to allow us to order in sufficient vaccines as the Surgery does not keep a stock of them.
Your PATCHS submission should include details of where and when you are travelling, and how many of the family members will require the NHS vaccines. Please note that the vaccines need to be administered at least 2 weeks before travel to provide sufficient immunity when abroad.
Once the PATCHS request is submitted, the Practice will respond within five (5) working days to book the appointment with the Nurse.
However, if timelines are too short, or if there are no nurse appointments available, you will be advised to go to a local private Travel Clinic to obtain your vaccines (for which there will be a charge). Please also note the following:
- There are no NHS prescriptions for anti-malarial tablets – they must be done privately
- Patients can ask the Practice for a print out of their vaccinations record to take to the Travel Clinic for their information and review. This information is also available on the NHS App.
