Providers may deliver flu, and coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations by different delivery models.
There is an expectation that providers will structure their vaccination service to meet high demand and the specific requirements set out by manufacturers of individual vaccines, such as cold chain preservation. These considerations apply for all population groups, including children and young people.
Providers will need to consider how they will be arranging vaccination services. For example:
- are you planning to be working alone or with other providers (for example, as part of a Primary Care Network)?
- where will you be delivering the vaccinations (the vaccination site)?
- what are your current conditions of registration?
- if you are working with other providers, who is responsible for the quality and safety of the service?
We give some examples of possible models of vaccine delivery by providers and identify if these are registration requirements or notification changes. Most existing providers will only need to submit a statutory notification. However, if you are unsure whether you need to change your existing registration arrangements, please contact us at enquiries@cqc.org.uk
Examples with registration requirements
Example 1
Vaccination site: an existing GP practice or NHS trust location (or satellite sites). These are already listed in your conditions of registration for Treatment of disease, disorder or injury (TDDI).
Responsibility: you are responsible for the quality and safety of the regulated activity, TDDI.
You are already registered to carry on the regulated activity at the proposed location. No application or notification is necessary.
Example 2
Working with other providers to deliver a vaccination service at another provider’s premises.
Vaccination site: hosted at another location not listed in your conditions of registration. It is already listed in the conditions of registration of another CQC registered provider for TDDI. This other provider is responsible for delivering the regulated activity (TDDI) (vaccination service).
Responsibility: the host.
You must be clear who will be responsible for carrying on the regulated activity (and for the quality and safety of the service). If the host will be responsible, you will not need to make any application. The host is already registered to carry on the regulated activity at the proposed location and no application is necessary.
Example 3
Working with other providers to deliver a vaccination service where you are responsible for the regulated activity.
Vaccination site: hosted at another location not listed in your conditions of registration. It is already listed in the conditions of registration of another CQC registered provider (host) for TDDI.
Responsibility: you, from the host's location (for example, as the lead practice or lead NHS trust).
If you will be responsible, you:
- will not need to make any application to change your registration
- need to tell us you're running the vaccination site as a ‘satellite’ of your own GP practice or Trust.
- need to tell us when the service stops
We would not inspect this service separately. We would include it as part of any inspection of your main practice or Trust location.
Example 4
Providing vaccination at premises that have not been used for the carrying on of a regulated activity (for example sports venues, schools, other community venues).
Vaccination site: not listed in your conditions of registration or any other CQC registered provider and will only be used as a vaccination site.
Responsibility: you are responsible for:
- carrying on the regulated activity, and
- the quality and safety of the service at the location, and
- making sure the location is equipped and maintained to the standard expected for patient healthcare.
You will not need to make any application to vary your registration.
If you are responsible (as a lead provider), you will need to:
- tell us you're running the vaccination site as a ‘satellite’ of your own GP practice or NHS trust
- need to tell us when the service stops
We may inspect this location separately.
Groups of providers could work together at such sites to deliver vaccinations to patients from any practice within the group. This would include groups in a Primary Care Network or arrangements between NHS trusts and other registered providers. In these cases, providers could either:
- identify the lead provider responsible for the regulated activity. Only this provider should tell us they're running the vaccination site as a ‘satellite’ of their own practice or NHS trust registration
or
- all the providers share responsibility. They should all update their statement of purpose to tell us they are running the vaccination site as a ‘satellite’ of their own practice or NHS trust registration.