Doctors will be paid to give Covid-19 vaccinations to housebound patients - but they say the payment will still leave them at a loss.

The NHS will pay GPs in Kent and elsewhere an additional £10 for every coronavirus jab they give to someone who might otherwise be unable to attend a vaccination centre.

Clinicians in some towns and cities have been vaccinating more than 100 people with conditions such as dementia each day, while GPs and healthcare teams in rural areas have been driving through heavy snow to protect housebound people in rural areas.

Although the payment will go some way to offsetting the costs of delivering the vital jabs in people's homes, one Kent doctor says they will still be left footing some of the cost.

Dr John Ribchester, clinical director of Whitstable Primary Care Network, said: "This is a Kent and Medway payment in recognition of the time and cost of going on a house visit.

"It won't cover costs, so GPs will be offering this worthwhile service at a loss. A pity, but despite this we are doing it to protect the vulnerable."

The NHS says it is on track to offer all those in the top four priority groups, decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a jab by the middle of this month.

Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS medical director for primary care, said: "Tremendous efforts have been made by GPs across the country to ensure we vaccinate those people who are in the priority cohorts as determined by the JCVI.

"Since the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use and we began administering it on January 4 when Brian Pinker became the first person to receive the jab, my colleagues across the country have been prioritising the vaccination programme roll out which is our biggest chance of beating this virus.

"Please remember the NHS will be in touch with you when it’s your turn to be vaccinated."

The £10 per visit additional funding recognises the extra staff time and complexity of vaccinating the housebound.

The supplement also applies retrospectively to any vaccinations which have already been administered to people at home.

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