Technical Guidance 2014/15 Contract
The guidance on the technical requirements for the GMS contract for 2014-15, has been updated to include sections on shingles and avoiding unplanned admissions. One new Read code has also been added to the dementia section following the HSCIC review of the April Read code release.

Vaccinations and Immunisations Programme Guidance and Audit Requirements
The final version of the of the supporting guidance for the 2014-15, vaccination and immunisation programmes includes the detail for the shingles routine and catch-up vaccination programmes and the childhood seasonal influenza and seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccination programmes.

Focus on Vaccinations and Immunisations Update
The Focus on vaccines and immunisations guidance has now been updated following the changes to the regulations on 1 April 2014. This now includes information and links to documents in the devolved nations, and also changes to the new vaccination programmes hepatitis B for newborn babies at risk and meningitis C for freshers.

Carers and Annual Flu Vaccination Programme
The annual Flu Plan for 2014-15 has recently been published and as in previous years, carers (defined as ‘people who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill’) are one of the groups of people who can request a free flu vaccination. The Flu Plan suggests that ‘consideration should also be given to the vaccination of household contacts of immunocompromised individuals, specifically individuals who expect to share living accommodation on most days over the winter and therefore for whom continuing close contact is unavoidable’ potentially broadening the scope of previous programmes where only the ‘main carer’ would be eligible. However, as this is not clearly defined, practices should use reasonable clinical grounds and discretion about to whom to give it, in order to be eligible for payment.

Pharmacy Direction Schemes
Following reports in the press about a number of schemes that appear to encourage or have the potential to be associated with prescription direction, the GPC, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and Pharmacy Voice have written to the Department of Health and NHS England to highlight concerns. Such schemes could also have an impact on rent abatement under the Premises Costs Directions. We know that a number of practices have been approached recently and we would like to remind them not to tie themselves into any long-term and inappropriate arrangements. We would suggest that practices report to GPC (info.gpc@bma.org.uk) any concerns about similar arrangements between practices and pharmacies which incorporate an element of prescription direction. We would also like to remind practices about the joint guidance to practices and pharmacies on prescription direction which was published last autumn. A copy of the aforementioned letter is also available on this page.

QOF Business Rules v29
The HSCIC has published v29.0 of the QOF business rules.

Learning Disabilities, Rotavirus and Dementia Enhanced Service Business Rules v4
The HSCIC has published v4.0 of the learning disabilities, rotavirus and dementia enhanced service business rules.