Staff Immunisations 2015

Q.I have a couple of queries regarding staff immunisations, first of all regarding BCG. Do we need to have blood test results showing that we have all been immunised or is it sufficient to have a record of who has had it and when. Secondly regarding tetanus, I believe that boosters should be had 10 yearly – is it necessary for everyone to have boosters purely for working purposes, i.e. do we need to go to our GPs and have this if it is more than 10 years since we last had it and again do we need to be able to provide proof?

A.Regarding immunisation, the guidance suggests that you nominate a person within the practice to co-ordinate staff health and keep a written confidential record of immunisation schedules and antibody test results. Permission (written consent) must be first gained from the team members before requesting any confidential information from their GP. Put in place markers or an alerting system to help the practice keep their records contemporary and ensure that all members of the dental team are up to date with booster vaccinations.

Regarding the BCG vaccine, the guidance states that this vaccine is recommended for healthcare workers who may have close contact with infectious patients. So therefore this vaccine should be given to all staff involved in direct patient care. However the BCG vaccine is not routinely recommended for non-clinical staff in healthcare settings.

Guidance states that all staff who are involved in direct patient care should be up to date with their routine immunisations including tetanus.

That being the case, the proof of immunisation required, will vary from practice to practice depending on what the Practice Owner feels is adequate.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact me.  

Kind regards

William Reynolds

Legal Assistant

LCF Law

November 2015