THE demands of a new vaccination programme in schools could push health staff to breaking point in Glasgow, nursing leaders have warned.
Concerns have been raised about the impact of an extension to the immunisation programme on health visitors and school nurses. As part of the programme, school nurses will be tasked with delivering the flu vaccine to 157,000 primary and secondary pupils over an eight to ten-week period.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said the inoculation programme would pose a "significant challenge", and that it may recruit additional bank nurses during the peak period of vaccinations. School nurses will also be required to provide a new booster for meningitis for secondary pupils.
There is also a new vaccine to protect babies against whooping cough, and health visitors are expecting a higher demand for the MMR vaccine following the measles epidemic in Wales.
Staff currently provide the HPV vaccine to around 70,000 girls in secondary schools, and diphtheria, tetanus and polio boosters to 1400 pupils.
Health visitors are also now required to carry out a new 30-month assessment of children to help spot developmental problems. The Royal College of Nursing said staff were already over-stretched and that levels would become "unsustainable" unless action was taken to attract new entrants.
The Child Health team, which helps co-ordinate the schools vaccination programme, also expressed concern, saying it is operating at 100% capacity.
Anne Thomson, RCN Scotland officer, said: "Given the age profile of the workforce, and a lack of nurses coming forward to train as health visitors and school nurses, capacity is in danger of becoming unsustainable unless action is taken now to attract new entrants."
NHSGGC said it was working to establish the staffing and administration costs for the new immunisations.
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