Over the past few years travel medicine has become increasingly specialised and we are finding that our patients are travelling to ever more exotic locations. There are some occasions when travel itineraries fall outside of what we regard as the limit of our expertise and failure to cover all aspects expertly could be a potentially serious issue. Basic travel advice and certain vaccinations are funded by the NHS. More specialist advice and other vaccinations are NOT funded by the NHS. For this reason we have adopted a new policy with regards to travel advice and immunisations to provide effective and safe practice to our patients, an attached copy of vaccinations provided by NHS is provided overleaf.

 

What you have to do

  • We request that you complete the attached questionnaire and list of the costs for vaccines not provided on the NHS. Please answer all the questions as accurately as possible and add any additional information for your trip. You will need to complete a separate form for each person travelling; this is because travel needs depend on the individual’s age, medical history and past vaccination history.

 

  • We ask that you make your appointment in the travel clinic when you hand your completed questionnaire in to the reception. Appointments cannot be made until we have receipt of the information so we have time to prepare for your travel consultation. We ask that you make contact with us as early as possible, but do insist on at least 4 weeks prior to your travel date, as this makes it easier to help you. Some travel vaccines take several weeks to provide protection, and others require a course of treatment separated by more than 3 weeks. 

NOTE: if your trip is deemed to be outside of our area of expertise, or we have not been given sufficient time to prepare for your travel or give vaccines in a timely fashion we will advise you to contact a local dedicated Travel Vaccination Clinic. These can be found on the internet under Travel Clinics.

Travel related internet sites for additional information:

National Travel Health Network and Centre www.nathnac.org

Medical Advice Service for Travellers Abroad – www.masta.org

Department of Health – www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceToTravellers/fs/en

Foreign and Commonwealth Office – www.fco.gov.uk/travel

 The following vaccines are funded on the NHS:

  • Hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis) – first and second/booster dose (6-12 months after first dose)
  • Combined hepatitis A and B – all doses
  • Typhoid – first and any booster doses
  • Combined hepatitis A and typhoid – first dose (second dose is with Hepatitis A alone)
  • Tetanus, diphtheria and polio as given in the Td/IPV vaccine
  • Cholera injection

The following vaccines are NOT funded on the NHS (You will need to source these privately as the we not offer these vaccinations).

  • Rabies 
  • Combined Hepatitis A & B - C
  • Hepatitis B  
  • Japanese B encephalitis 
  • Meningococcal A, C W  & Y 
  • Tick-borne encephalitis 
  • Yellow Fever 

Malaria prophylaxis -no longer requires a private prescription and other anti-malarials are available over pharmacy counters.

Ciprofloxacin requires a private prescription for which we will charge a “prescribing fee” of £25.00.

* We reserve the right to vary the fee according to the cost of the vaccines.

Extended Periods Abroad

The NHS accepts responsibility for supplying ongoing medication for temporary periods abroad up to 3 months. For longer periods a person’s NHS entitlement is a sufficient supply of regular medication to get to the destination and find an alternative supply of that medication. 

Medicines in anticipation of onset of ailment/illness

Medicines which are required solely in anticipation of the onset of an ailment while outside the UK but for which treatment is not required when the medicine is prescribed are not available on the NHS.  These

require a private prescription for which we will charge a “prescribing fee” of £25.00.

Travel advice leaflet 

Travel risk assessment form

 
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