This Autumn, Covid & Flu Vaccinations will be given together (co-administered). Providing you are eligible; you can opt to have both vaccinations in one appointment or you may choose you just have one vaccine.
Most patients will be happy to attend one appointment for both vaccines, however if you are not comfortable with this, please contact your practice who can arrange two separate appointments for you.
The campaign start date is the 3rd October 2024 and we will be running clinics most days of the week from this date.
For maximum patient convenience, clinics are being held at a variety of times and locations across our Primary Care Network (PCN). This means patients from Downend Health Group, The Orchard Medical Centre, Leap Valley Surgery, Emersons Green Medical Centre and Three Shires Medical Practice can book into any of the available clinics at any of these practice’s locations. We first tried this model earlier this year in the Spring Campaign and received overwhelmingly positive feedback and have therefore built upon this model.
There are now 8 potential vaccine sites to choose from and we have significantly increased our weekend capacity which includes some practices running clinics on Sundays.
For ‘Flu only’ clinics, practices will only be able to invite and vaccinate their own patients for this vaccination. We are running a limited number of these in the first two weeks for patients who either want Flu only or are only eligible for the Flu vaccine but not Covid.
Support your practice
GP practices are under increasing financial pressure which is negatively impacting the service we can deliver to our patients. As of August 2024, many practices in Bristol and across the country have started taking collective action.
By getting your seasonal vaccinations directly through your GP practice rather than elsewhere, this greatly supports your practice and the quality of service we can deliver. Many thanks for your consideration.
When will I be invited?
Eligible patients will receive two text message invites. These have a ‘self-booking link’ embedded within the text message so you can book directly from your smartphone.
The first message will be sent on approx. the 23rd August. This message is for information and to invite patients who:
- Want to book ‘Flu Only’
or
- Wish to have both vaccines, but across two appointments
If you wish to have both vaccines administered together, please wait two weeks for the second text message (see below).
The second text message will be sent on approx. 6th September and will invite patients to book into combined Covid/Flu appointments. You can still book these even if you wish to only have one type of vaccine. You will be asked on the day which vaccinations you would like.
If you do not have a mobile telephone number, one of the team will be in touch via your landline telephone OR via letter. If you believe you are eligible, please feel free to contact our reception team to book your appointment even if you have not yet received your phone call or letter.
Housebound / Care home patients
- Housebound patients will be contacted directly by one of our team to inform you of the day we will be able to visit
- For Care homes, we will arrange a date directly with individual care homes for vaccinations. Care homes can then inform their residents
How do I book my appointment?
- Use the self-booking link within your invitation text message
- Call our reception who can book your appointment
Booking is on a first come first serve basis.
FAQ’s
Do I need to turn up early for my appointment? – We would greatly appreciate you turning up no more than 5 minutes early for your appointment but ask you not to be late. Although the team will aim to accommodate you, if you are significantly early or late, we may ask you to come back later or rebook
Do you accept walk ins? – We can sometimes accommodate walk ins if the clinics are quiet, but this is not guaranteed. We highly recommend booking to avoid disappointment
I believe I am eligible, but have not been invited? – Eligibility from campaign to campaign differs. This year, the criteria is:
- Adults aged 65 years and over
- Residents in care home for older adults
- Individuals aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group
- Carers, frontline healthcare workers and care home staff
If you believe you are eligible but have not been invited, please contact our reception team. It may be something simple like a telephone number is in-correct, however if not, they will likely need to ask a colleague to look at your record and get back to you. Please note, GP practices are under significant levels of pressure, so this may take several days or more.