Quality standard
Quality statement 1: Follow-up invitations
Quality statement 1: Follow-up invitations
Quality statement
Children and young people who do not attend their vaccination appointment are followed up using the preferred method of contact specified in their record.
Rationale
Children and young people who are due to have a vaccination should receive an invitation to an appointment. If they do not attend the appointment, a follow-up communication using the method of contact (such as letters, texts, emails or phone calls) preferred by them or, if appropriate, their parents or carers, will increase the likelihood that the appointment will be rebooked, and that the child or young person will be vaccinated.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Process
a) Proportion of children and young people who have up-to-date medical records that include preferred methods of contact.
Numerator – the number in the denominator who have up-to-date medical records that include preferred method of contact.
Denominator – the number of children and young people.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.
b) Proportion of children and young people who do not attend their vaccination appointment who are followed up.
Numerator – the number in the denominator who are followed up.
Denominator – the number of children and young people who do not attend their vaccination appointment.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.
Outcome
Vaccination coverage in under 19s.
Data source: The COVER programme features quarterly data on vaccination coverage for children aged up to 5 years in the UK.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (for example, GP practices and school health services) ensure that systems are in place for children and young people to be followed up using the preferred method of contact specified in their record after a missed vaccination appointment. GP practices have up-to-date records that include the child or young person's preferred methods of contact.
Healthcare professionals (for example, health visitors, school nurses, GPs and practice nurses) ensure that they follow up children and young people who have missed a vaccination appointment using the preferred method of contact specified in their record. Healthcare professionals should record if parents or carers have decided not to vaccinate their child and the reasons for this decision.
Commissioners (for example, clinical commissioning groups, integrated care systems and NHS England) ensure that they include in contracts and service specifications the requirement for services to make sure children and young people are followed up using the preferred method of contact specified in their record after a missed vaccination appointment. The child health information system (CHIS) can be used for tracking non-attendances and generating recall invitations.
Children and young people who have missed a vaccination appointment and, if appropriate, their parents or carers, are contacted using their preferred methods (such as a letter, text, email or phone call) by their health visitor, nurse or doctor to arrange another appointment.
Source guidance
Vaccine uptake in the general population. NICE guideline NG218 (2022), recommendations 1.2.8 and 1.3.14
Equality and diversity considerations
Healthcare professionals should consider the literacy levels and the first language of children and young people and their families or carers when issuing recall invitations. In some cases, a telephone call may be preferable to a letter or text message.
Consideration should also be given to the best method for communicating with transient communities, such as travellers, and people experiencing homelessness who do not have a permanent address and contact details.