Enhanced Services

Maximise your rotavirus vaccination coverage

Updated 18 May 2022

This service attracts and item of service fee and is in the Essential Services section of the GP Contract. Practices are required to operate a call and recall system for this (a recent change).

Using 2017 UK birth rate estimates. A practice of 5000 patients will have approximately 60 births per annum and complete coverage will provide an income of around £1200 each year.

Key points about the service

  • This service sits alongside the childhood target immunisations and is delivered at the same appointments.
  • It is an easy service to deliver with a captive audience.
  • The income is easily earned because the patients are already in the practice for another reason.
  • The service was introduced in 2013. Prior to this there were 130,000 rotavirus cases per year predominately in the under 2s. Ten percent were hospitalised. The vaccine has reduced severe infection by 85%.

What it is worth to practices

This service pays £10.06 per dose given. The first dose can be given between 6 and 15 weeks of age but ideally should be given at 8 weeks with other immunisations.

The second dose can be given between 10 and 24 weeks of age but ideally should be at 12 weeks with the other immunisations. It should be given 4 weeks after the first dose.

There is no payment for doses outside of the recommended range. There is an increased risk of intussusception when given later.

How to claim and ensure payment

The correct snomed codes for rotavirus first and second doses need to be entered.  Practices must be signed up to delivering or accepting a quality service on CQRS and the data is automatically extracted via GPES on a monthly basis.

The vaccine is normally administered as part of standard childhood immunisations. It is only two doses and should not be given with the third set of immunisations at 16 weeks. Clinicians need to be alert to avoid making a mistake here.

Refusals should be coded – the data is not extracted as part of payment details by GPES but is useful from a public health perspective.

The SNOMED codes are:

1st Rotavirus 868631000000102

2nd Rotavirus 86865000000109

Check the Open Exeter statements monthly to ensure claims made correspond with monies received and errors are chased up swiftly. Check any discrepancy with the commissioner initially (normally the CCG but this will change as ICSs become operational). CQRS and GPES errors can be pursued through NHS Digital.

How to maximise coverage

  • These infants are possibly one of the easiest groups to find. We are notified of their births and we have health visitors with an interest in child protection and development who will help target this group.
  • Remind pregnant women of the vaccines their children will need. Lots of leaflets are available.
  • Remind mothers when they attend for their own post-natal checks or appointments.
  • Consider sending congratulations cards to new parents with information about your baby clinic and possibly with an appointment date and time to fit their age.
  • Advertise the service on the practice website and via waiting room noticeboards.

Authored by Dr John Allingham who is a GP in Leeds

Guide URL:
https://pulse-intelligence.co.uk/guide/how-to-maximise-your-practice-income-from-vaccinations-rotavirus/
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