Just to update this again,the PCT spoke to our GP and informed him that he definetly cannot charge for these injections as they were being done by his NHS employed nurse at a NHS surgery.So we have just come back from having the injections done free of charge.If anybody else is concerned about the costs involved in getting these injections done at their GPs surgery,i would advise you to contact the local PCT just in case.

Hi Shazzacat!

Glad it worked out well for you in the end! As mentioned before, i thought it was strange you were being asked to pay such a high price for jabs which are usually free. Can i just ask what PCT is?? Is your GP in trouble for trying to get you to pay now then?

PCT stands for Primary Care Trust - this is the bit of the NHS that provides non-hospital based care and that GPs are contracted with to provide local health care. They also contract with the hospital trusts to provide certain services too. The situation is a bit ambiguous in circumstances such as this because GPs aren't NHS employees - they are self-employed practitioners who contract to provide certain services for the NHS in return for the service fee they receive from the NHS. There can be some variations between PCTs and what they do and don't contract GPs to provide. Some practice-based nurses will be NHS employees - eg Community Nurses working out of a Health Centre that is also the base for a GP practice - but some of them are employed by the GP practices they are based in and not by the PCT. Some GP practices own their surgery premises and 'rent out' parts of them to other NHS services but some GP practices are based in health centres owned by the PCTs and pay rent to the PCT for the use of their surgeries!

So it sounds as if Shazzacat's GP has been contracted by her local PCT to provide the vaccinations that she needed and/or that the nurse who would be actually doing it was a direct employee of the PCT, hence why they were concerned that she was being charged for them. The situation might have been different if the GP was administering the injections his/herself rather than getting the nurse to do it! Different PCTs do have different policies on what they will and won't pay for - this is the 'postcode lottery' that surfaces in the news on a regular basis, especially with regard to expensive and/or new experimental drugs. Your GP might want to prescribe them but if the PCT won't pay for them then you'll have to pick-up the bill yourself. So if you find yourself being charged for holiday innoculations, you've nothing to lose by contacting the PCT but you can't assume that they will say you are entitled to them free - it will depend on the local policy.

SM

Hi Tallulahjemima,
We come under Southwest Essex PCT,they have only recently taken over our area and were completely unaware that our GP was charging for injections.We checked with the other local GP surgeries and none of them were making any charge for the particular injections we needed,this was one of the reasons why we checked with the PCT.Not sure if our GP is in any trouble as such but the lady at the PCT said she had had some very strong words with both the GP and the practice manager at the surgery.
SMA-The nurse is employed directly by the PCT so as you say this could also have been the reason that the PCT were so unhappy.Would recommend people check with their individual PCTs,NHS direct were also very helpful regarding this matter and sent us lots of information on which vaccinations are generally provided free on the NHS.
We have to go back in 6 months for our boosters-that might be interesting lol
Sharon

Can anyone tell me the advice onwhether malaria tablets are recommended or not for this area? The websites are a bit unclear (Bavaro area mentioned recently and near to Haiti border?)

Hi HelenV,
We go to the Dom. Rep once a year now, have been going for the last 6years, we go to the North Coast, Costa Dorada and always take malaria tablets(Avloclor). Our practise nurse recommends us taking them. Some people dont bother, but I always say better safe than sorry. We take them because we go off resort on trips into the countryside, so feel safer by taking them. Ask your GP/Practise Nurse when going for your jabs they will give you all info, then it will be up to yourself if you take their advice or not.

Hope this helps.
Angie

When we went to Riu Merengue in Bahia Maimon we were told we didnt need them.This was confirmed by the Rep who was a local.
We were told if you were going into the mountains there was Dengue fever,no mention of malaria.
You are quite a way from the Haiti border.

Hi Helen, i agree with Angie 34, we were told by our doctor to take the anti malaria tabs (Avloclor) they need to be taken one week before you go, then continuing for 4 weeks after!
I was also given the hep combo vaccine, its just not worth taking the risk really and there is no harm in taking them anyway!!

Good luck!

Lou xx

Second time back from the island and yet again other guests (mainly USA & CANADA) all seemed surprised some Brits actually try to avoid contacting Malaria.

Am I the only one who bothers taking those bloody tablets for days on end?

No you are not alone taking the tablets, my whole family take them, I know its a pain and they taste bitter if not enough water is swallowed with them but hey ho, my attitude is better safe than sorry.
Its only the Americans and Canadians that dont bother as their Health Authority dont advise it for the North Coast, only the Punta Cana region, as in god knows how many years Punta Cana is the only place that Malaria has risen its head, except for the border to Haiti and Haiti itself.

Cant understand why they dont bother to take precautions, they would certainly get a shock if they contacted malaria then there would be an outcry with their Health Autority. Good Luck to them I say, but I shall be intending to carry on taking my malaria tablets on every one of my trips.

Hi, we are going to Cancun in Jan/Feb, do we need to take malaria tablets? If it is advisable to take them then we will definetly have no problems taking them.

yummymummy,

Cancun and the Caribbean region isn't a high malaria risk area so no, it isn't mandatory only a recommendation. For more info, refer to the FCO website for Mexico. I don't bother when travelling to that part of the world. I'm off to Kenya in March though so off for my Yellow Fever jab in January and I start the malaria protection 2 days before I go!

Darren

thankyou ever so much dazbo, i always ask you questions about flights every year, you seem to know a lot .

Dazbo5 wrote:

I'm off to Kenya in March though so off for my Yellow Fever jab in January and I start the malaria protection 2 days before I go!

Darren

Only 2 days? I thought you needed to start it a week before travelling, but it's a long time since I was in a malarial area.

luci

It depends on the tablet you are taking, which in turn depends on where you are visiting. There's different malaria protection for different areas of the world. The ones the doctor have recommended we take you start a daily tablet 2 days before you travel and 5 days after you return so 22 tablets. I'm glad it's not any longer at £2.10 a tablet!!

Darren

Hello all,

Bit of advice needed please. Trying to get my 2 year old to take Avloclor. She's not liking the taste and is removing it from her mouth. Does anyone have a recomendation of something we can put the tablet in to take the taste away ? Have tried yogurt so far

Thanks

I've got the same tablets for my 2 year ready for the DR in August. The pharmacist said to crush it in jam.

sw4hb
Thanks for that. Will give it a go

Im failing to see why you would want your child to take malaria tablets in the Dom Rep, been visiting for years and not once took malaria tablets. If you are planning on staying in or around your resort, then you wont have any problems. If you are planning on going backpacking into the wilderness, then Yes i would take them.