Flu 2020/21 CQC and alternative models of delivery

CQC have published details for providers who are thinking about and planning the ways in which they will deliver flu vaccinations for winter 2020/21. Models for delivery could look different to usual as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and have given examples of registration requirements for various scenarios.

For the model/example that we understand many practices have been looking at is a "drive to" delivery in a large car park. CQC advise the following: -

Vaccination site: in premises which have not been used for the carrying on of a regulated activity (for example a car park). The location:

• is not listed in your conditions of registration or any other CQC registered provider
• will only be used as a vaccination site
• healthcare professionals bring equipment and records to carry out vaccinations and remove them at the end of the session. (No medical equipment or medicines are held on site.)

You will not need to make any application to vary your registration.

If you are responsible (as a lead practice), you will need to:

• update your statement of purpose to tell us you are running the vaccination site as a ‘satellite’ of your own practice.

Groups of practices could work together at such sites to deliver flu vaccinations to patients from any practice within the group. This would include groups in a Primary Care Network. In these cases, the group could either:

• identify the lead practice responsible for the regulated activity. Only this practice should update their statement of purpose to tell us they are running the vaccination site as a ‘satellite’ of their own practice

or

• all the practices 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

For other model examples, please refer to the CQC webpage for full details.

You may also find it useful to listen to our Flu Podcast