§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards the provision by nurses of pre-school immunisation services.
116W
§ Mrs. CurrieVaccines can be administered by a nurse on the direction of a doctor if the nurse is authorised to do so by her employing authority. Local policy on this matter is for health authorities to determine.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards pre-school immunisation programmes in the light of the survey of pre-school immunisation programmes in England and Wales carried out by the public health laboratory service communicable disease surveillance centre on behalf of the disabilities study unit, a copy of which has been forwarded to him.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe Department has just received a copy, which will be studied with care. We understand a summary was submitted to the last meeting of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, which advises Ministers on immunisation matters.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy that all district health authorities should appoint a single person with direct responsibility for the immunisation programme.
§ Mrs. CurrieHealth authorities were asked to do this in a circular (HN(85)19/HN(FP)(85)21) sent in August 1985 and reminded about the need to do so in a CMO/CNO letter (CMO(86)13/CNO(86)12) last year. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to establish a formal training programme for immunisation in every district to target all service providers, including general practitioners.
§ Mrs. CurrieEffective training of revelant National Health Service staff and general practitioners in immunisation is clearly very important. Central Government, health authorities, the health professions and the training bodies all have a part to play.