NHS England has stated that vaccination payment claims can be made in September, following patient and professional outrage over delays to the start of the vaccination season.

A document issued on August 10 (yesterday) states: “Payment for vaccinations will ordinarily only be made following the service commencement date. However, we understand that some firm commitments and appointments have already been made, so where this is the case and the patient wishes to receive flu vaccination in September, NHS England will permit payment claims to be submitted.”

National newspaper the Daily Mail  expressed outrage over the month-long delay to the start of NHS vaccination campaign, forcing adults to wait until October for their flu jabs.

Pharmacists also highlighted the “very real risk” that all service providers will face workload challenges and to be unable to recoup the investment they have made sourcing vaccines in good faith. Community Pharmacy England has written to health secretary Steve Barclay seeking his immediate intervention to prevent a delay to the start of the flu immunisation programme.

In the new statement, NHS England states that routinely flu and COVID-19 vaccinations for adults should commence in October while flu vaccines for children should start from September. Additional guidance states that flu and COVID-19 vaccination for all cohorts should be completed by 15 December 2023, with all systems identifying opportunities to maximise the offer of co-administration of flu and COVID-19.