Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust wins bid to continue school immunisation service

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has been awarded the contract to continue delivering a school-based immunisations service.

The contract was awarded by Public Health England following a successful tender late in 2017.

The Trust’s successful bid means the current dedicated team can continue to offer immunisations, including the flu and meningitis vaccines, to children in the 220 primary schools and 70 secondary schools, including private schools, in Buckinghamshire. Additionally, children educated at home and children in care within the county will receive the service.

Jenny Chapman, the lead for children and young people (CYP) services at the Trust, said: ‘I am really pleased to announce that our immunisation team have won the tender for the school aged immunisation service.

It shows how committed we are to improving the health outcomes of the children and young people of Buckinghamshire.

It also demonstrates the hard work and commitment of the team to ensure that children and young people across the county receive a seamless service.‘

Sam Smissen, school nursing immunisation team lead at the Trust, said: ‘The work we do has never been more important, as we’ve seen an increase in flu levels in Buckinghamshire in the last two weeks.

If your child has missed any vaccinations in school, don’t worry, please just ring the school nursing immunisation team on 01296 566063 to make an appointment at a catch up clinic. Help us protect your child and prevent diseases, like flu, from spreading further.‘

Prevention against the spread of diseases is important for both general public health and for relieving pressure on other health services such as A&E and GP surgeries.

From January to December 2017 immunisation figures indicate that Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust carried out the following immunisations :

• 3,051 girls has 2 doses of the HPV vaccine.
• 5,895 year 9 girls and boys had the Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio vaccine.
• 5,897 year 9 girls and boys and 5,498 year 11s had the Meningitis ACWY vaccine.
• 21,725 children between the ages of 4 and 9 years had the intra-nasal flu vaccine.
• 400 Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccines were given out to those who had not had two combined doses.