A BMA poll last week found that 12% of locum GPs had not received their first vaccination against the virus by 23 January – compared with just 2% of partners and 7% of salaried GPs.
Analysis by GP Online showed that less than two thirds of GP locums had been vaccinated by 13 January, according to BMA polling, compared with almost nine in 10 partners at that stage.
Last week the NASGP reported on BMA survey results that showed sessional GPs, particularly locums, were much less likely than any other group of doctors to have received a COVID vaccination despite being a priority.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, told GP Online: “The trouble is that GP locums by nature aren’t practice-based GPs, they move from surgery to surgery. That means that they aren’t on any official practice database or national system.
“We have been saying this for so long to NHS England and they know this. But it’s very, very difficult to get that message [to add locums to vaccination lists] out there because they don’t have the right systems and processes to actually disseminate information properly to where it needs to be.”
The day after the feature was published, NHS Chief People Officer Prerana Issar tweeted: ‘locum, agency and bank staff in priority cohorts must have equal access’.
Locum, agency and bank staff in priority cohorts must have equal access to the #CovidVaccine, including colleagues without an #NHS number or GP registration. Thank you to everyone who is continuing to keep frontline health and care staff safe. #OurNHSPeople
— Prerana Issar💙 (@Prerana_Issar) January 27, 2021