I'm a long term (25+ year) asthmatic and after a couple of nasty episodes a a few years ago after which my medication regime was changed I've been (touches wood) relatively good. So much so that I'm on a long term repeat prescription for my inhaler that is issued without needing to see the asthma nurse, and I only need see the GP every other year to have this position renewed. But bottom line, I'm on regular medication to control it and therefore on the at risk list for swine flu, hence awaiting the invite for the clinic. Which hasn't come yet despite the NHS saying that the first wave of vaccinations is well underway.

Now my daughter has the swine flu (as best as we can tell, after ticking boxes on the internet) and my wife appears to be heading the same way. So there's a fair bet it's in the house. I called the GP today only to be told that I'm not on their list, because I haven't seen the GP for 18 months and my last repeat prescription was >6 months ago. They give me 3 inhalers at a time ffs so i don't have to keep going back!! And according to the practice manager and the GP I spoke to, they can see that it would be a good idea to go to the clinic they have arranged tomorrow but it's against Health Authority instructions to offer to people who haven't been seen by their GP or had a prescription in the last 6 months. So i can't. I have to make an appointment on Monday next week to see the GP just purely for the purposes of seeing her. That will trigger the process and I'll then get an invite. By which time I'll probably have caught it.

I'm actually pretty annoyed / bewildered that there is seemingly no flexibility, and feel the need to point this out appropriately. Do GP's agree that what I'm being told is right or are the practice pulling me along?

Play the system. Could you arrange to see the practice emergency doctor tomorrow? Walk in say 'hello I think I need a swine flu jab asap', they can look at your notes and say 'yes, sounds like you do, as luck would have it we have clinc on at the moment!'.

that sounds about right.

Hmmm. talking as a Gp who is doing swine flu jabs tomorrow morning, with one patient booked every 2 mins, I don't think you'll get far blagging it. The inflexibility of the system comes from the half arsed way the vaccines have been allocated- 500 jabs per practice regardless of list size. We have 12000 patients and that equates to 1200 eligible in the first category (under 65, with chronic disease) before we move on to the 120+ women who are currently pregnant. As you can see there are going to be some patients who will have to wait till we get more stock. If you are in a similar sized practice this may be an issue. Having said that it does seem rather arbritary to use no inhaler in 6 months as a cut off. Book an appointment with a gp on monday to explain your concerns and if I'm sure they'll understand.
I am interested to hear you only get seen every 2 years. We try and see all our asthmatics at least annually.

Had my invite today for a swine flu jab

Not decided yet, seems to have been rushed in with undue haste. Not over trusting of our health service or government when it comes to something like this.

Take your risk with the Flu then Taxi and then when your ill with it gasping your last see if you trust the NHS then.

It's probably a bit late to be vaccinated if there is already and infected person in the household.

more info here

yes the NHS is evil. lets have a private system like in the states. credit card first questions later!

TBH if you daughter has swine flu now you'll get it and the jab will make no difference. I don't believe in this tick box /phoneline swine flu diagnosing. I know of cases where patients have died because they have been incorrectly diagnosed with swine flu. it's cutting corners and risk taking on a huge scale and frankly it's not safe.

How are the seasonal flu death rates this year? Are more people dying from that than Swine Flu?

Seems I'm on the list, my jabs tomorrow.

Umm, I'm not a doctor but if you've already been exposed to swine flu the vaccine isn't going to work.

Umm, I'm not a doctor but if you've already been exposed to swine flu the vaccine isn't going to work.

Almost but chances are if he's been introduced he'll either be immune now or will catch it.

Had mine last week some flu symptoms 24hrs after and a sore arm, but better than a potential stay in Intensive Care and obvious worse case, having been to two different ICU's this year quite fancy not being in one myself.

What I will say about both ICU's one in Scotland and one in England is that the NHS care was nothing short of exceptional as was the care on the wards. Also the care I get from the NHS in support of Diabetes is excellent and was so in the south too.

Thanks for the comments; irrespective of the likelihood of getting it now and whether the vaccine would / would not work, what gets me is the fact that once again people at the coalface can't (or won't) make decisions on the course of action based on local information, instead it's 'we can't, or we'll be in trouble off the Health Authority'.

It's daft to me, that because I haven't been seen / had a prescription issued in the last 6 months I'm not even on the list.

It's daft to me that when I point out the reason why I'm not on their list they can't add me to the list. I have to go to see a GP to trigger that.

If they'd told me it's a waste of time because if we have it in the house I'll get it now anyway, I could accept that. If they'd told me that they have limited doses and there are needier cases than me above me I'd accept it. But both the GP and practice manager tell me they can perfectly see why i should be on the list but I still have to go through this charade because that's what the Health Authority say.

Do Gp's really get £5 for every jab they for the flu vaccination?

Just wondering…

another Q then. Assuming I've been exposed to it at some point this last week (daughter fell in Sun night, I was away on business and wasn't back until Tuesday night) – so Weds onwards. How long will it be before I develop symptoms then? And what does chances are if he's been introduced he'll either be immune now or will catch it mean? Is there a way for me to develop immunity through exposure to live virus as opposed to developing the illness?

I find it incredible that we keep being told that we are well-placed in Britain to protect people from swine flu, yet people like theotherjonv have to work the system to get the jab.

In Canada, they have now expanded the jab to anyone who asks. So how come they can do it and we can't?

Bl**dy bureaucracy.

Just reread the thread again and Docrobster asked a question:

I am interested to hear you only get seen every 2 years. We try and see all our asthmatics at least annually.

Every 2 years is a misnomer. Following the problems I had a few years back i saw the asthma nurse regularly and she changed my medication which made a big difference. Now that's stable I'm on repeat prescriptions for 3 inhalers at a time, and I'm entrusted with my own regime. I know when I'm good, when I'm not so good and I can either go off feel or use the PF meter to check it, and then adjust the dose up accordingly. Once I was stabilised after the episodes I was on 2 x 250mcg twice a day, but under the nurse we reduced this so I now routinely have just 2 x 250mcg a day unless I feel I need more. So 3 inhalers can last a good time. And I think every third repeat I get told to make an appointment to see the Doc. So depending on how high or low usage has been, that's certainly more than a year and typically around every 18-24mo.

We're introducing a flexible system for reviewing our asthmatics by telephone, and so may never see some of them.

Goan – Member
How are the seasonal flu death rates this year? Are more people dying from that than Swine Flu?

Don't know what the seasonal flu death rate is running at but last week 31 people died of swine flu in the UK.

99% of flu cases in Europe currently are h1n1 swine flu. If you get flu it's swine flu.

Had both seasonal and H1N1 vaccines last week. Felt a bit under the weather/aching joints for about 36-48 hrs. All our staff who may "breathe" on oncology patients were "encouraged" to have both vaccines. Being naturally suspicious, I wonder what directives we may be given re. attendance management of individuals who have been absent from work with a "flu-like illness" over the next few months? 🙄
Cynical, moi?

i've just spent the whole night pissing out my arse and effectivly shitting out my mouth.

yes i think in wales it's £5.12 per vaccine, doesnt come to me i'm a salaried gp not a partner fatcat!! ( kidding GP partner people ;0) ) . However our practice have taken on 2 extra members of staff to deal with this which theyve got to pay for! And as the practices are supplying an extra service which has implications on other clinics- eg asthma and diabetic clinics- and GP practices are a business and not a charity why shouldnt they be paid for it!!

Re the £5 a jab. Yes sounds a lot doesn't it. We've done about 250 this morning. 2 nurses, one GP, a couple of receptionists, practice manager and an admin clerk all came in for 4 hours on a Saturday. Add to that the work involved in setting up the clinic- sending out hundreds of letters, phoning people to ask if they are coming etc…
There might be some profit left at the year end, but I doubt it would work out at a spectacular hourly rate for my morning's work today.
I'm not aware of any other job where you are just expected to take on extra work for no financial recompense.
Last time I checked boots charge about £13 for a private flu jab, which includes the cost of the jab (£6.33 in this year's BNF) so £5.12 sounds like quite good value to the government for organising the swine flu vaccination programme. Their alternative would have been contract it out to someone like boots- I don't think that would be very popular.
So yet again GPs get a slagging for providing a service to the government at a cheaper cost than the private sector. Sounds like normal to me

Whoa there Doc.

I don't think you were getting a slagging. I think the question was an honest one and the answer is fair too: yes, you do get £5 per jab but by the time the admin and overtime is factored in there's very little actually to show for it. You certainly aren't pocketing a fiver a time, that's clear.

And if you think I was then re-read the post. I was annoyed that people like you / the practice manager aren't free to make decisions on this, instead having hard and fast policy dictated by NHS bureaucrats again.

Go and ride your bike would be my advice. I can't I've got a 5yo fighting through the tail end, a wife who can't get out of bed today now the flu's proper taken hold, a 3yo going stir crazy because she's barely been out of the house for a week now and me sitting waiting to see if/when I get it and how bad it'll be. And it's lovely outside as well.

Sorry if that came over harsh. Wasn't aimed at you. Was aimed at any daily wail readers that might be looking.

have 7 yr old with a relatively rare medical condition and had after having appointments cancelled and being told just to keep ringing to see if vaccine arrived went and waved papers from professional society that deals with condition at GP clinic manager and was promised a new appointment and that i would be contacted not that i would have to make contact again ("you know we've got 500 people to ring" me "yes and at least 3 months to prepare")
anyhow further two appointments cancelled – pointed out had swine flu in schoo and recent local child death and that the nature of the combination of vomiting and high temperature would mean hospital as routine drugs would not work
demanded that doctor rang me (waste of his time)Doctor "problem is drug is in batches of 10" me "so find 9 other patients you've missed" Doctor "we'll do that for the morning"

as i said 3 months to organise and no idea
demand to talk to GP

docrobster – so what has happened to seasonal flu then? disappeared?

I'm not aware of any other job where you are just expected to take on extra work for no financial recompense

i guess the government agreed the figures quoted to cover cost rather than recompense

1st flu pandemic of the century and a representative of those in a caring profession sound like they are running the service side of a car dealership

i suspect the response will be that the NHS and Government have p'ssd us of so why should we bother to try harder?

i'm sure that many local authority and emergency services employees will be working this weekend in cumbria without additional recompense

99% of flu cases in Europe currently are h1n1 swine flu. If you get flu it's swine flu.

Based on blood test or based on over the phone diagnoses?

None yet this year? Could still happen in jan. Dunno
3 months to prepare is right. And zero notice for when the vaccine arrives.
That's why we try and just get them all done on a sat am. Vaccine arrived a week ago yesterday. Staff ring as many people as poss all week to get them to come today. If you were being offered appointments before they had received the vaccine that's just daft.
And thinking again about the OP I don't know why they are being so rigid. We drew our own list up with no interference from the PCT but maybe your local PCT has issued strict guidance. You fit the criteria for first wave of jabs.
Don't ask me what's gonna happen about the under 5s that have just been added to the list. I heard about that from the news media. Official emails from the government came the next day 😕

but maybe your local PCT has issued strict guidance

or how it is interpreted – in one call cancelling my daughters vaccination i was told "she doesn't have asthma or a heart condition"

well that is true but a non medical person was making a clinical judgement using over simplified guidelines – when i visited the clinic the manager told me that though they had vacine scheduled for delivery they hadn't completed their patient audit

next problem is physically how many vaccinations can be done if you only do in a 3hr clinic on a saturday am

Based on serological testing. Official RCGP email. Mentions specific genetic subtype. That's not to say that lots of people haven't been misdiagnosed. Lots won't have had influenza at all. Just that of the influenza cases they have confirmed, 99% are the swine flu strain. Early estimates of no.s of phone diagnosed cases that were actually swine flu ran at about 5-10%. (in the summer)

1st flu pandemic of the century and a representative of those in a caring profession sound like they are running the service side of a car dealership

thanks for that.

No offence to docs, but they are not exactly short of pay, since the new contracts.

"I'm not aware of any other job where you are just expected to take on extra work for no financial recompense."

Try checking local government posts and education establishments posts over the last 10 years or so. Where I work, people on £15,000 per annum, no paid overtime, no perks are now expected to do the work formerly attached to posts where the pay is £30,000 and upwards. At one time, if they were caught helping out with it, they got a bollocking for getting above themselves! I am sure loads of people can cite rubbish pay for long hard hours, extra demands and high stress.

3 down. Looks like the littlest one has it now. If i don't get it in the next few days I'm going to assume I'm naturally immune. Which would be nice.