Patient Group Directions: Authorisation: Flu Immunisations

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A decision made on 05 October 2018

Decision Reference: MD-HSS-2018-0044
Decision Summary Title :	Authorisation of three Patient Group Directions (PGDs) to enable Primary Care Practice Nurses and Community Pharmacists to administer flu vaccinations.		Date of Decision Summary:	02 September 2018
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Preventive Programmes		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report:	Written		Person Giving Report:	Head of Preventive Programmes
Written Report Title :	Authorisation of Patient Group Directions for flu immunisations delivered by Healthcare Professionals in Primary Care		Date of Written Report:	02 September 2018
Written Report Author:	Head of Preventive Programmes		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Authorisation of Patient Group Directions to enable flu immunisations to be delivered by Healthcare Professionals in Primary Care.
Decision(s): The Minister for Health and Social Services authorised the use, by appropriately trained Practice Nurses and Community Pharmacists, of Patient Group Directions to enable the administration of flu vaccinations to specific groups of people without the need for a doctor’s prescription.
Reason(s) for Decision: Patient Group Directions (PGDs) are written instructions which provide a framework for qualified healthcare professionals (such as nurses and pharmacists) to administer medicines such as vaccinations, to people in designated groups without the need for a doctor to write an individualised prescription. PGDs are used frequently within the NHS and Health organisations and are used regularly within Health & Community Services to support efficient delivery of services to patients. Practice Nurses and Community Pharmacists in Jersey are not directly employed by the Health and Social Services Department and authorisation for their use of PGDs must be given by the Minister for Health and Social Services.
Resource Implications There are no financial or manpower implications.
Action required: Minister to sign authorisation of three PGDs for flu vaccinations. Head of Preventive Programmes to circulate copies of the authorised PGDs to Primary Care Practice Nurses and Pharmacists. Primary Care Practice Nurses and Pharmacists to sign the PGD ‘individual practitioner authorisation sheets’ and to obtain signature of their authorising manager and return scanned copies to the Head of Preventive Programmes. Head of Preventive Programmes to maintain a record of flu vaccinators working under the PGDs.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Health and Social Services
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):