BEST PRACTICE CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION GUIDE - PowerPoint Presentation

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BEST PRACTICE

CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION GUIDE6 focus areas proven to optimise uptake

6 focus areas proven to optimise uptake of immunisations

Strong leadership

Proactive promotion

Maintain accurate information

Effective call/recall

Maximise access and continuity

Trained and knowledgeable workforce

1.

Strong LeadershipAppoint a designated practice lead for immunisations (see Appendix 1)

Adopt a multi-disciplinary team approach

Discuss children/families who persistently miss appointments in practice meetings and routinely liaise with health visitors

Plan aheadStrive for continuity of care

2.

Proactive Promotion

Promote vaccinations within the surgery, for example using national resources

https://www.orderline.dh.gov.uk/ecom_dh/public/home.jsf

Have conversation starters in reception e.g. the ‘MMR bear’

3.

Maintain accurate informationMaintain accurate immunisations recordsAlways check the immunisation status of new registrations (and share this information with CHIS – Child Health Information Service)

Send regular information to CHIS of children moving in and out, and any vaccinations given

Maintain accurate information (contd)

Routinely check the immunisation status and eligibility of all patients during health appointmentsSchedule regular searches of the IT system (e.g. quarterly) to identify and follow up patients with outstanding immunisations or who have DNA’d (and their parents as appropriate) - ensure this is highlighted in the notes

Set up IT system alerts on patient records as a reminder to encourage parents if there are outstanding vaccinations

4.

Effective call/recallAdopt a call–recall chain of escalationBe flexible to patient needs

Minimise/eliminate vaccination waiting lists

Put in place a vaccination DNA management policy

Consider text messaging, ‘birthday cards’, ‘parties’ and other innovations

5.

Maximise access and continuityEnsure clinics (and the practice as a whole) are child and family friendly

Review the immunisation clinics to see if improvements can be made (e.g. extended clinic/opening times, no waiting lists)

Maximise opportunistic vaccination – make every contact count

Ensure access to language and learning development support is readily available

Ensure sufficient vaccine stock, safe storage and availability during clinicsKeep the cold chain policy up-to-dateBe proactive about understanding and addressing barriers to access and inequalities – Appendix 3

Maximise access and continuity (contd)

6.

Trained and knowledgeable workforce

Ensure that all immunisers are up-to-date with training (and provide general immunisation training to reception staff) https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/info-professional/public-health/training/

Remember your ‘8 Rs’ (Royal College of Nursing guidance) – Appendix 2

Train and develop staff that will be responsible for ensuring uptake is optimised

Use friendly competition

Trained and knowledgeable workforce (contd)

Sign up to Vaccine Update to be aware of any national issues or changes https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-update

Save useful internet links as favourites so you can find them easily, such as the incomplete immunisation sheet https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaccination-of-individuals-with-uncertain-or-incomplete-immunisation-status

Support

If you would like any support or more information, please contact the SW screening and immunisation team: england.swscreeningandimms@nhs.net 

Support

a practice lead for immunisations

 The responsibilities of the practice lead should include (not limited to):

Appendix 1: Appoint a practice lead for immunisations

a practice lead for immunisations

 Appendix 2:

Remember your

‘8 Rs’

https://www.rcn.org.uk/-/media/royal-college-of-nursing/documents/publications/2018/october/pdf-007201.pdf

Appendix 3: Inequalities

What are the needs of your local population – how would you find this out?

Who doesn’t attend/engage - how can you find out why?

What could the barriers to access be?

Inequalities are seen across a range of dimensions like: age, gender, ethnicity, disability, geography, socio-economic factors (wealth, education, language)

Specific groups may be more vulnerable such as people with learning disabilities, informal carers, looked-after children

How can the practice:

Improve access to services and information?

Engage communities?

Target specific groups?

Collect better data or evidence?

Be proactive: Prepare, Assess, Refine, Apply, Review!