Mulgrave Road Surgery > Clinics and Services > Travel Clinic

Travel Clinic

Arranging your Travel appointment

Prior to travelling please allow as much time as possible to arrange your appointment for the Travel Clinic (preferably at least 6 weeks or more), which will be with the Practice Nurse. The Nurse will require to know which countries, and areas within countries, that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.

It is vital you make your initial appointment well in advance of your travel as you may also be required to come back for further appointments depending on your circumstances.

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

Available vaccines -Travel vaccinations

Travel Form

You can also complete the online Travel form and send this to us (this must be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to travel).

Travel Risk Assessment Form

Yellow Fever Centre

Mulgrave road surgery is not a yellow fever centre.

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 NHS 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

If you are unable to wait for our next available travel advice appointment, as advised by the reception staff, then you can attend any Private Travel Clinic—charges will apply at these clinics.

The nearest travel clinic operates from Coopers pharmacy on grove road, at the top of Sutton high street.

You can make an appointment at coopers or another private clinic if you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel.

Advice on Medicines and Vaccines for Patients Travelling Outside the UK

Under NHS legislation, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for people when they leave the UK. GP’s are not required to provide prescriptions for the treatment of a condition that may arise while the patient is abroad.

For example;

Sun cream/lotions
Pain relief
Antidiarrhoeal Travels 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

Under NHS legislation, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for people when they leave the United Kingdom. However, to ensure good patient care the following guidance is offered. People travelling to Europe should be advised to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card.

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?

Please be aware that the whole episode of the treatment should be provided by the private provider, i.e. blood tests and other tests, suture removal, dressing changes, routine wound check, prescribing during your episode of private treatment, etc., and the Practice should not be involved in any aspects of this episode of treatment, with the exception of emergency care relating to the treatment.

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.