Non-urgent advice: Arranging your Travel appointment
For your travel health advice, we recommend visiting TravelHealthPro. This site is an excellent resource for information on vaccinations and other health precautions you may need for your trip.
Vaccines
Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge.This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.
Please note only the undernoted vaccines are available on NHS Prescriptions:-
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Polio
Private travel vaccinations
We do not provide the following vaccinations and you will be required to go to a specialist travel clinic and pay for these vaccinations:
- hepatitis B when not combined with hepatitis A
- Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis
- meningitis vaccines
- rabies
- tuberculosis (TB)
- yellow fever
Travelling with Medication: Your Responsibilities
When you’re traveling, it’s crucial to understand and follow the rules for carrying medication, both prescription and over-the-counter. It’s your responsibility to check the specific regulations for your destination, your airline, and any countries you’ll be passing through.
You might need a letter to travel with your medication. Please note that this is not an NHS service. While your GP may be able to provide a letter, they will likely charge a fee for it.
If you’re planning to be abroad for more than two months, your GP may prescribe enough medication to cover you until you can arrange an alternative supply in your destination country.
It’s important to remember that GPs are not responsible for prescribing medications “just in case” for conditions that might develop while you’re abroad.
Non-urgent advice: Useful Links
Post vaccination advice
Some people will develop slight tenderness, redness and sometimes swelling at the site of the injection and a small number may experience slight fever, headache, general aching and malaise approximately 24 hours after the vaccination, lasting about 24 hours. You are advised to take regular analgesia to reduce your temperature (e.g. paracetamol if this is suitable for you) and to drink plenty of non alcoholic fluids. A cold compress applied to the site of the injection may relieve the discomfort.
We request that you wait within the vicinity of the premises for approximately 10 minutes after receiving any vaccines. This is merely a precaution, because in extremely rare circumstances, a person can have an immediate and sometimes severe allergic reaction which would require medical attention.
Check any medication restrictions
Have you checked if there are medication restrictions in the country you’re travelling to, or if you might need a letter to support having medication on board in cases like allergies or insulin? Have a look at the Travel Pro guide and ensure you check with your airline if you aren’t sure.
Flying after an operation?
Make sure you check with your GP or Surgeon any precautions you may need to take and have a look at these guidelines for an idea.
Hepatitis immunisation
Immunisation against infectious Hepatitis (Hepatitis A) is available free of charge on the NHS in connection with travel abroad. However Hepatitis B is not routinely available free of charge and therefore you may be charged for this vaccination when requested in connection with travel abroad.
Private Travel Clinics
Park Practice do not offer travel clinics you can attend any Private Travel Clinic—charges will apply at these clinics.
Advice on Medicines and Vaccines for Patients Travelling Outside the UK
For example:
sun cream/lotions
pain relief
antidiarrhoeals
travel sickness medicines
For Prescription Only Medicines (POM), patients may be offered and charged for a private prescription e.g. Ciprofloxacin for traveller’s diarrhoea. The GMS contract allows items for travel to be prescribed by GPs for patients on their NHS list.
Drugs for malaria prophylaxis are not prescribed on the NHS.
Patients should be advised to purchase where possible over the counter medications
For prescription only medicines (eg. Doxycycline, Lariam®, Malarone® and Maloprim®), GPs may charge for and issue a private prescription.
All other travel vaccinations are not available on the NHS and must therefore must be offered to patients via a private prescription;
Meningitis ACWY
Tick Borne Encephalitis
Japanese Encephalitis
Rabies
Yellow Fever Vaccine
Excess quantities of regular repeat prescriptions
Medication required for a pre-existing condition should be provided in sufficient quantity to cover the journey and to allow the patient to obtain medical attention abroad. If the patient is returning within the timescale of their usual prescription, then this should be issued (the maximum duration of a prescription is recommended by the Care Trust to be two months, although it is recognised that prescription quantities are sometimes greater than this).
Patients are entitled to carry prescribed medicines, even if originally classed as controlled drugs, for example, morphine sulphate tablets.
For longer visits abroad, the patient should be advised to register with a local doctor for continuing medication (this may need to be paid for by the patient).
General practitioners are not responsible for prescriptions of items required for conditions which may arise while travelling, for example travel sickness or diarrhoea. Patients should be advised to purchase these items from community pharmacies prior to travel.
Planning on having private treatment/surgery in the UK or abroad?
It is also the private providers responsibility to issue a Fit Note covering the entire anticipated period off work, but if any longer time off is then required when you are no longer under the care of the provider then this would be the practice responsibility.