Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the Statement of Financial Entitlements for the pneumococcal vaccination Directed Enhanced Service for aged 65 years and over and for at-risk groups does not include a national payment scheme.

The Directed Enhanced Service requires NHS England to establish a programme of pneumococcal vaccination for persons aged 65 years and over and to enter into arrangements with any primary medical services provider. It is for NHS England to determine the payments for this service. NHS England has agreed a national payment of £7.64 per dose for General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services providers for delivering the programme. The national specification is currently being finalised and will be published in due course.