Quality standard
Quality statement 3: Recording vaccinations
Quality statement 3: Recording vaccinations
Quality statement
Children and young people receiving a vaccination have it recorded in their GP record, the child health information system (CHIS) and in their personal child health record.
Rationale
Accurate recording of vaccinations allows services to monitor uptake rates in their area. This can help when planning for future population vaccination programmes and appointment requirements. It aids the timely administration of vaccinations to children and young people and supports the use of call–recall systems.
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.
Structure
Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that children and young people receiving a vaccination have it recorded electronically in their GP record, the CHIS and in their personal child health record.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by provider organisations, for example from service pathways or protocols.
Process
Proportion of children and young people identified as receiving a vaccination by the CHIS who have it recorded on their GP record and personal child health record.
Numerator – the number in the denominator who have their vaccination recorded on their GP record and personal child health record.
Denominator – the number of children and young people identified as receiving a vaccination by the CHIS.
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
a) Accurate planning for future population vaccination programmes and appointment requirements.
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) Timely administration of vaccines to 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.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (for example, GP practices) ensure that systems are in place to record vaccinations of children and young people in their GP record, the CHIS and their personal child health record when the vaccination is given. The recording should be done electronically on the GP record and the CHIS.
Healthcare professionals (for example, GPs, health visitors, practice nurses and school nurses) ensure that the vaccinations of children and young people are recorded in the GP records, the CHIS and the personal child health record when the vaccination is given. The recording should be done electronically on the GP record and the CHIS.
Commissioners (for example, clinical commissioning groups, integrated care systems and NHS England) ensure that they commission services that have systems for recording vaccinations when they are given. The recording should be done electronically on the GP record and the CHIS.
Children and young people have every vaccination recorded in their GP record, their personal child health record (often shortened to 'PCHR' or 'the red book') and the child health information system. The child health information system is a record of the healthcare received by every child in England (often shortened to CHIS).
Source guidance
Vaccine uptake in the general population. NICE guideline NG218 (2022), recommendations 1.1.1, 1.2.3, 1.2.6, 1.2.21 and 1.2.23 to 1.2.25
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
GP record
Every time a person visits an NHS service in England, a record is created or updated. This record is held in their GP practice and contains all the clinical information about the care the person has received. It enables every healthcare professional involved at different stages of the person's care to have access to their medical history, including allergies, operations or tests, medicines and vaccinations. Based on this information, healthcare professionals can make judgements about the person's care. [Adapted from the NHS website and expert opinion]
Child health information system
The child health information system (CHIS) is a patient administration system that provides a clinical record for individual children and supports a variety of activities related to child health, including universal services for population health and support for statutory functions. It identifies registered eligible children, sends out lists to GP practices and sends appointments directly to patients. The childhood seasonal influenza vaccination is not required to be recorded on CHIS. [Public health functions to be exercised by NHS England (Department of Health and Social Care) and expert opinion]
Personal child health record
The personal child health record (PCHR), also known as the 'red book', is a record of the health history of children aged under 5 years. It is held by the child's parents or carers. The PCHR also provides information on the UK childhood vaccination schedule. [NICE's guideline on vaccine uptake in the general population and expert opinion]