NHS chief Amanda Pritchard gets flu and COVID-19 jabs at London pharmacy

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) CEO Amanda Pritchard chose to receive her COVID-19 booster and flu jab at Junction Pharmacy in Brixton, south London, it has been announced.

Amanda Pritchard, NHSE&I CEO
NHSE&I chief Amanda Pritchard (left) received both jabs at pharmacy in London • Source: Still photograph, NHSE&I

Superintendent pharmacist Bhaveen Patel administered both jabs yesterday morning (December 6), after noticing that the NHSE&I CEO had not yet had her flu vaccine.

Ms Pritchard was “quite impressed” with the fact that the pharmacy was able to offer her both vaccines at the same time, Mr Patel told C+D.

The “wonderful staff” at Junction Pharmacy “as at pharmacies across the country, are playing a key part in the rollout and they are making every contact with patients count”, Ms Pritchard said.

She encouraged all those eligible for a COVID-19 booster jab – currently people aged over 40, those with health conditions, and healthcare workers – to come forward to get vaccinated.

“Very humbling” to host NHS chief

Mr Patel said it was “very humbling” for his pharmacy team “to have the head of NHS England come get her vaccines at our pharmacy”.

Mr Patel told her about how community pharmacies have been supporting the rest of the NHS during the pandemic by offering extra services, introducing changes in their pharmacies, supporting patients with COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and offering support to those struggling with mental health.

He recalled one specific episode where he assisted a patient who had come in for her COVID-19 vaccine. The consultation ran for 30 minutes, as the patient opened up to talk about her struggles with depression. The pharmacy helped the patient to get seen by her GP, and she was referred to talking therapies, according to Mr Patel.

“She’s a lot happier [now],” he said.

NHS chief “quite impressed”

Mr Patel said Ms Pritchard was “quite impressed with what community pharmacy has achieved over the last two years or so”.

“Pharmacy is one of the places where people do come first. And that's what the NHS should be telling people, to come to pharmacy. She's very supportive of that,” he added.

Mr Patel is also vice chair at the Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham local pharmaceutical committee. He is hoping to set up a meeting with Ms Pritchard in the future, to discuss what other services community pharmacies could provide.

“Things like the [childhood] immunisation [programme] would be great through pharmacies”, as the sector has shown that it can offer vaccines “very well”, he suggested.

As of November 17, 1,464 pharmacy-led vaccination sites were signed up to offer COVID-19 vaccines, according to data from NHSE&I.

However, this number is set to rise to more than 1,500, NHSE&I and Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week.

As of last month (November 16), community pharmacy teams in England had administered a joint 15 million COVID-19 vaccine doses since January.

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