Cost of administering vaccines: FOI release

Information requested

1. How much does a General Practitioner recieve when administering a vaccine??
2. How much does nhs Scotland recieve for administering vaccines??
3. Why are vaccine ingredients NOT on pamphlet??
4. Why are the side effects influenza??

Response

1. The information you have requested in relation to question 1 is included in the links below which outline the service fees for GPs from April 2022 onwards:

PCA2022(M)07.pdf (scot.nhs.uk)

PCA(M)(2021)09 - COVID-19 Vaccination Directed Enhanced Service (scot.nhs.uk)

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

2. I have enclosed a copy of some of the information you have requested in relation to question 2 which are included as attachments accompanying this response. The two attached documents are titled: ‘FVCV Allocation Letter to Territorial Health Boards - 10.08.23’ - Territorial Health Board Vaccination Programme Funding for 2023-24

‘Health Protection Division’ - Territorial Health Board Vaccination Programme Funding for 2023-24

Furthermore, all of the information you have requested in relation to question 2 can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/corporatereport/2022/12/scottish-budget-2023-24/documents/scottish-budget-2023-24-level-4-data/scottishbudget-2023-24-level-4-data/govscot%3Adocument/scottish-budget-2023-24-level-4-data.xlsx

Details of overall health board funding is provided in line 8 of the Health and social Care (H&SC) tab of the downloadable excel file. The cost of providing most vaccination services is included in this allocation. It is for Health Boards to decide how they allocate this funding based on the needs of their population.

In addition, line 80 of the file includes details of specific funding for immunisation.

Funding for vaccination programmes (including Meningitis C, Shingles, Rotavirus and some groups of childhood flu) are covered under the Outcomes Framework funding on line 55.

Finally, funding for the delivery of the flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes is included within COVID-19 funding on line 160.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

3. In relation to question 3, we have interpreted this request to mean ingredients listed on the Patient Information Leaflets (PILs).

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

The Scottish Government does not have all the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government is not responsible for manufacturing vaccines, however, Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory products Agency (MHRA), has the information you are looking for. Further information on PILs can be found online at the MHRA products website: MHRA Products | Home

You may wish to contact Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory products Agency (MHRA):

MHRA Freedom of Information Team
10 South Colonnade
London
E14 4PU
United Kingdom

or by emailing your request to info@mhra.gov.uk

4. For question 4 we have interpreted this request to mean side effects of influenza virus, therefore, all of the information can be found here Flu | NHS inform.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. The reason for this is that in order to locate and retrieve that information, we would need to conduct a search of all records held by the Scottish Government. Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. For example, you could specify the subject matter(s) of the ‘side effects of influenza ‘you are interested in or restrict your request to a specific business area of the Scottish Government, as this would allow us to limit the searches that would require to be conducted. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner’s ‘Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs’ on his website at:

http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202300372918 - Information Released - Documents

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10 page PDF

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421.0 kB