Some local area teams are lacking ‘sufficient staff and experience’ to cope with public health challenges, government officials have claimed.
Members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have raised concerns that many posts remain unfilled in NHS England’s local area teams.
JCVI members also stated that a few areas in England are ill-equipped to provide immunisation services.
Some local area teams are lacking ‘sufficient staff and experience’ to cope with public health challenges, government officials have claimed.
Members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have raised concerns that many posts remain unfilled in NHS England’s local area teams.
JCVI members also stated that a few areas in England are ill-equipped to provide immunisation services.
The panel said there has been poor communication between the NHS and public health bodies, leading to delays in creating contracts for services.
Minutes from the JCVI’s June meeting state: “A number of members raised concerns about aspects of the transition to the reformed NHS that remained yet to be resolved, including:
- "The mechanisms for circulating important communications quickly to all relevant parts of the health and public health system
- "The slow pace of putting contracts in place for some services, insufficiently developed local organisation in some areas to provide immunisation services
- "The numbers of immunisation-related positions that remain unfilled in area teams and
- "The current insufficient numbers of trained experienced staff in some areas."
The Department of Health claims that “much work had been done to resolve the issues” and that although more work is needed “the implementation of the new immunization programmes was on track. And the response to the measles situation had been swift”.
