Record keeping and consent
Guidelines for best practice in record keeping for health professionals working at the YFVC
Guidelines for best practice in record keeping should be followed by all health professionals working at the YFVC.
- YFVC must have systems in place to ensure records of vaccination for adults and children are maintained and archived or disposed of in accordance with the management of records policy/code of practice appropriate to your place of work [1-6].
- Medical records kept at the YFVC should include the YF risk assessment, details about the vaccine and administration. Consent of the person to be vaccinated should be informed, obtained according to national guidance and documented in the clinical record [7].
- Records should be sufficient to enable a health professional to re-issue an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) in the future where the record is still held. YFVC should be aware that, due to lifelong validity, duplicate certificates can now be requested many years after vaccination but can only be issued where a satisfactory record exists.
- Paper or electronic records are acceptable. YFVCs operating a paperless system should ensure that they are able to produce YF vaccination details for inspection or reference at short notice if appropriate [8].
- Individuals who have received YF vaccine must be issued with an ICVP. They should be advised to store it in a safe place, usually with their passport and be encouraged to make a copy, kept separately, which could help, should re-issue of an ICVP become necessary.
- In the event of a YFVC closing, records pertaining to YF vaccine must be archived according to the Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care [1] or other applicable management of records policy/code of practice [2-5] and the Data Protection Act 2018 [9].
NaTHNaC must be informed of any changes that may affect a YFVC's designated status [8].
References
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NHSX, Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care 2021, 14 December 2021 [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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Scottish Government, Records management: NHS code of practice (Scotland) Version 2.1, January 2012 [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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NHS Wales, Management of Records [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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Department of Health, Northern Ireland, Good management, good records [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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UK Government. The Private and Voluntary Health Care (England) Regulations. UK Statutory Instruments 2001 No. 3968. [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Code: Professional Standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives. 10 October 2018 [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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UK Health Security Agency, Consent. Ch 2. In. Immunisation against infectious disease, June 2021. [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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NaTHNaC, Yellow fever Vaccination Centre, Code of Practice 2020 [Accessed 23 March 2023]
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UK Government Data Protection [Accessed 23 March 2023]
First published : 14 January 2022
Last updated : 23 March 2023