Skip to Main Content
The first stop for professional medicines advice

Options for GP practices providing influenza vaccination to staff

Last updated See all updates
Topics: Influenza vaccineOccupational HealthPatient Group DirectionsVaccinating

GPs can vaccinate staff using PSDs, written instructions, or via OHS or community pharmacies. Considerations for using each mechanism are explained.

This article forms part of a series
  1. Occupational health services (OHS) and medicines mechanisms
    1. Using PGDs in occupational health services (OHS)
    2. Using written instructions in occupational health services
    3. Seasonal influenza vaccination and occupational health services
    4. Influenza vaccine written instruction template for adoption
    5. Options for GP practices providing influenza vaccination to staff

Contents

  1. Considerations
    1. Staff eligible for vaccination within the national seasonal influenza vaccination programme
    2. Staff employed elsewhere
    3. Locum GPs
    4. Indemnity insurance
  3. Options for vaccination provision
    1. Occupational health service provider
    2. Written instruction
    3. Community pharmacy
    4. Patient Specific Direction
  5. Update history

Considerations

Staff eligible for vaccination within the national seasonal influenza vaccination programme

All staff with a clinical condition that makes them eligible for the national seasonal influenza vaccination programme under the NHS, should be encouraged to attend their own GP surgery or community pharmacy to obtain this vaccination. Provision of the vaccination to staff should generally be reserved for those who do not qualify for the seasonal influenza vaccination under the eligibility criteria listed in the current annual national influenza programme.

However, if the staff member is unlikely to seek vaccination via their GP practice or community pharmacy, they should receive the vaccination via their employer.

Staff employed elsewhere

Staff working within a GP practice who are not employed by the practice should seek vaccination via their own employer. Where appropriate for those staff eligible for the national seasonal influenza vaccination, they should attend their own GP surgery or community pharmacy.

Locum GPs

Locum GPs are eligible for vaccination via Enhanced Service for seasonal influenza.

Indemnity insurance

Practices are responsible for ensuring they have appropriate indemnity insurance.

Options for vaccination provision

Considerations

Not all commissioned OHS providers will include the provision of the seasonal influenza vaccine as part of their contract. However, where this is offered this should be the preferred option.

The provision by an external OHS provider offers confidentially to staff members receiving the vaccination.

Where this is not offered or does not meet the needs of the practice (for example is not easily accessible to staff) consider alternative options.

Considerations

The written instruction must first be signed by the GP within the practice assuming responsibility for the provision of the seasonal vaccination to staff. This will then allow named OHVs, authorised under the written instruction, to provide the seasonal influenza vaccination to all staff within the practice.

The named OHVs operating under the written instruction are responsible for ensuring the vaccination is given within the criteria set out in the written instruction and that they work within the bounds of their professional competence.

The practice needs to follow their own practice policies for:

  • the recording of the administration within the staff member’s record
  • consent to share information with the staff member’s registered GP practice where appropriate
  • how they manage confidentiality issues where a member of staff may potentially have a contraindication to vaccination but do not wish to disclose this to their employer

Influenza vaccine written instruction template for adoption (SPS page) and Legal mechanisms to supply and administer medicines to individuals (SPS page) contain further information.

Considerations

Instead of providing the vaccination within the practice, the practice may offer to reimburse staff the cost of obtaining this privately through a community pharmacy.

Some community pharmacies offer a prepaid voucher scheme where vouchers can be purchased in advance by the practice and then be supplied to staff which they then present at the time of vaccination.

Provision by a community pharmacy offers confidentially to staff members receiving the vaccination.

Considerations

This is private provision.

The prescriber signing the PSD would be responsible for their own prescribing and would be responsible for clinically assessing each person receiving the vaccination.

The practice needs to follow their own practice policies for:

  • the recording of the prescribing and administration within the staff member’s record
  • consent to share information with the staff member’s registered GP practice where appropriate
  • how they manage confidentiality issues where a member of staff may potentially have a contraindication to vaccination but do not wish to disclose this to their employer

The PSD must meet all legal requirements. For further detail see the SPS resource on Patient Specific Directions (PSD) (SPS page).

Update history

  1. Republished
  2. Reviewed and updated to reflect HMR Schedule 17 changes April 2026
  1. Republished
  2. Content reviewed - new headings ('Vaccinating Staff' changed to 'Considerations' and sub heading 'Staff eligible for vaccination within the national seasonal influenza vaccination programme' added to improve clarity) but no changes to content
  1. Published