NHS England has reopened the sign-up window for Phase Three of the Covid-19 Vaccination Enhanced Service (ES), after committing new financial support to PCN-led vaccine services.
In a letter sent to practices today (3 December), NHSE confirmed it would provide PCN-led sites with additional financial support to help deliver the booster campaign, which was extended to all adults this week.
It announced today that a temporary supplement of £10 would be available for the administration of Covid vaccines to severely immunosuppressed people from 1 December through to 31 January 2022.
NHSE will also offer an enhanced payment to support Clinical Director and management leadership of PCN sites to one whole-time equivalent (WTE) until the end of March 2022.
This comes in addition to the increase made to the standard payment for Covid vaccines to £15 per vaccination and the new £30 premium payment for vaccinations to housebound patients, announced earlier this week.
NHSE said ‘this additional support may now enable additional PCNs to participate in the vaccination programme’ adding that it has now re-opened its sign-up window.
PCNs that have opted in to deliver boosters to Cohort 10 will be able to deliver boosters to Cohorts 11 and 12 once these cohorts are opened, it said.
They should also prepare for further delivery in case additional cohorts are recommended to receive boosters.
It added that there is some opportunity for PCN-led sites to be onboarded to the national booking system (NBS) where there is a ‘strategic need’, and that these sitess should use the system for the ‘majority’ of their bookings.
The NBS, Patient Group Directive (PGD), National Protocol and Green Book are being updated to reflect the shortened three-month interval between second doses.
QOF suspended
Parts of QOF will be suspended and income-protected until April to free up GP capacity, NHSE also announced.
However, QOF indicators covering vaccination, cervical screening, register indicators and those related to optimal prescribing will continue to be paid on the basis of practice performance.
It also set out a part suspension of the PCN investment and impact fund (IIF), which will also restart in April.
It added: ‘The majority of the funding allocated to these suspended indicators will instead be allocated to PCNs via a PCN Support Payment, on a weighted patient basis, subject to confirmation from the PCN that it will be reinvested into services or workforce.
‘The remaining funding will instead be allocated to a new IIF incentive to support PCNs whose practices are fully participating in the vaccination programme. Further details will follow.’NHS England has reopened the sign-up window for Phase Three of the Covid-19 Vaccination Enhanced Service (ES), after committing new financial support to PCN-led vaccine services.
