Too many children and patients are missing out on vital immunisations and life-saving cancer screening in South Holland.
Figures for take-up of MMR vaccines in Lincolnshire have been identified as requiring improvement and South Holland’s are the worst, according to a summary report of quality assurance visits to south Lincolnshire’s 15 GP clinics.
Take up for screening for bowel and breast cancer is also said to be “noticeably lower in South Holland”, the report said.
It is feared migrant communities are particularly not taking up the services.
A South Lincolnshire CCG spokesman said: “Vaccinations are offered to all parents, they are not compulsory, however the health benefits are explained to parents, and the numbers who do not take advantage of this are very small.
“We are aware that uptake is lower that the regional and national figure and we are working on an action plan which will identify the patient and provider impact on immunisation take up. We are also looking at best practice nationally to improve the picture across Lincolnshire.”
There is a 95 per cent national target for MMR take-up. In south Lincolnshire 91.8 per cent is being achieved, whilst in South Holland it is 89.5 per cent.
The quality assurance visits report, presented to South Lincolnshire CCG last month following six months of visits to December, said: “Reasons given by the practices were the migrant population having a different vaccination programme to this country, difficulties accessing vaccine history if vaccinated in another country and lack of awareness that immunisation is important and also at no financial cost.”
MMR is a combined vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella – highly infectious conditions that can have serious, and potentially fatal, complications, including meningitis, swelling of the brain and deafness. They can also lead to complications in pregnancy that affect the unborn baby, and can lead to miscarriage.
Of the lower take-up of cancer screening, the report said: “A factor for this could be higher deprivation with an increased number of migrant workers.”
South Lincolnshire CCG said it is working with practices to look at ways of improving take-up.
