Post row 'will not halt flu jabs'

By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News

The UK has ordered enough vaccine for the whole population

GPs have promised not to let the postal strike beat them in their attempts to get vulnerable patients vaccinated against swine flu.

Family doctors were planning to send appointment letters in the post to invite nearly 14m people from priority groups for the jab.

But they have said they will be willing to telephone patients individually if industrial action continues.

Three 24-hour strikes are planned from Thursday with the threat of more in the coming months.

Family doctors started receiving vaccine supplies this week.

They have been told by the government to concentrate on immunising the most vulnerable patients, such as people with diabetes and heart disease, those with damaged immune systems and pregnant women.

The government has worked hard to get the programme in place as soon as possible so people could get protection before the winter flu season kicked off.

Only last week, Sir Liam Donaldson, the government's chief medical officer, was warning the postal strikes could cause problems.

Swine flu SMS

But GPs have now said they will look at other ways of contacting patients if letters do not get through.

Professor Steve Field, president of the Royal College of GPs, said: "The timing is extremely unhelpful and it will certainly cause disruption.

"There may be some delays in people getting the vaccine, but GPs and patients are pretty resilient and we will find a way.

"I think many will telephone patients if they have to or even email or text them to invite them for vaccination.

"But we don't have those details for everyone. A lot depends on how much industrial action there is.

"It could also affect other areas of GP care. People may need to be invited back for more treatment and you would not want delays with that."

Nonetheless, most GPs still expect to complete the vaccination of the priority groups within the two months the government had originally forecast.

Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association's GPs committee, said: "I think we will get there. It will just mean a lot of hard work.

"Instead, of giving patients set appointment times in the letters we may have to just invite them to contact us.

"It is not ideal, but I think we will still get most patients vaccinated in time."