MenB (Meningococcal group B) vaccination programme is being managed by SBUHB not GPs

Practices are not involved in the MenB (Meningococcal group B) vaccination programme and this will be run by Health Boards (Swansea Bay UHB).

The MenB (Meningococcal group B) vaccination will be offered to all those aged 17 and 18 who were born between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008. The vaccine is also available to those turning 25 after 31/12/2026 who will be attending Higher Education or Residential Further Education for the first time from Autumn 2026. This includes international students and those from the UK Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies. The vaccine will not be offered to:

• those who turn 25 on or before 31/12/26, presenting for their first dose

• those under 25 years continuing their studies – not attending further or higher education for the first time, including post graduates

• those in school-level residential settings, for example boarding schools, unless they are eligible due to their age.

Seventeen and 18 year olds who were born between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008 will receive an invitation letter from their health board. Letters will be sent after 1 July. For those under 25 and attending Higher or residential further Education for the first time this Autumn, you will not receive an invitation letter but you can contact Swansea Bay University Health Board after 20 July to find out where to get your vaccination.

Swansea Bay University Health Board

Website: Visit the Swansea Bay University Health Board website.

Address: 1 Talbot Gateway, Baglan Energy Park, Baglan, Port Talbot, SA12 7BR

Phone number: 01792 200492

Email: sbu.imms@wales.nhs.uk

Please do not contact your Swansea Bay University Health Board before 20 July 2026 as further information will not yet be ready. If you are under 25 and attending Higher or Residential Further Education for the f irst time this Autumn you will be expected to provide evidence of your offer letter from university or college when you arrive for your appointment.

First doses will be offered in Wales from 20 July until 31 December 2026. Second doses will be offered in Wales until 31 March 2027.

The second dose of the MenB vaccine is recommended at least 4 weeks (28 days) after the first dose to give you the best protection against MenB infection. It takes at least 2 weeks from the second dose of the vaccine for your body to achieve a good level of protection, so delaying the second dose delays protection. Those eligible should aim to get both doses before starting at college or university this Autumn.

Patients will need to have both doses of the vaccine, 4 weeks apart and then wait 2 weeks for the best protection. The MenB vaccine has been thoroughly tested and meets strict safety criteria. It has been routinely used in the infant vaccination programme in the UK since 2015 and has led to 75% reduction in MenB disease in vaccinated groups.

Digital GP Letters – Service Update

Please see an update from Swansea Bay University Health Board Digital Services (available on intranet here)

The way in which correspondence from Swansea Bay University Health Board is delivered to GP practices is changing for the following services:

• Rheumatology

• Osteoporosis

• Exercise and Lifestyle Programme (ELP)

• Prehabilitation Service

• Persistent Pain / Pain Management

• CMATS (Community Musculoskeletal Assessment & Treatment Service)

  
  

What is changing?

From 6pm on Monday 1 June 2026, all clinic letters and related correspondence for these services will be sent electronically to GP’s via the Welsh Clinical Communications Gateway (WCCG).

What this means for GP practices

• Paper copies of letters will no longer be printed or posted.

• All correspondence will be available digitally via:

  • WCCG

  • Welsh Clinical Portal (WCP)

    
    

Practices should ensure they have appropriate access in place and that WCCG is monitored regularly to avoid any disruption to receiving clinical information.

Why is this changing?

Moving to digital correspondence will:

• Improve the timeliness of communication with primary care

• Support more efficient and reliable delivery of clinical information

• Contribute to a more environmentally sustainable approach, reducing reliance on paper

  
  

Action for GP practices

• Confirm access to WCCG for relevant staff

• Ensure processes are in place to review incoming correspondence regularly

• Escalate any access issues via existing support routes ahead of go-live

  
  

Further information

For further information please contact Emma Preece, Service Lead – Persistent Pain Emma.Preece@wales.nhs.uk or Paula Philips, Service Manager - paula.phillips1@wales.nhs.uk

MRI scans being requested in the GP’s name by Audiology (Update April 2026)

Following updates on February 1st 2026, 15th October 2025 and 17th October 2025, Morgannwg LMC has written to practices on April 14th 2026 to clarify the current situation as many practices have contacted us regarding this matter:

"Dear Practices

We are aware that many practices have received reports from Audiology containing a statement that the Local Medical Committee (LMC) as of 1 February 2026 "made the decision Audiologists should not be requesting MRI scans within the Primary Care Pathway". We wish to clarify that this statement misrepresents the LMC's position.

The LMC's objection was never that Audiologists should not request MRIs. Rather, our position — supported by formal legal advice — is that investigations must not be requested under a GP's name without that GP's knowledge or authorisation. Key points to note include:

• Medico-Legal Risk: The clinician named on a request is legally and professionally responsible for the clinical justification, follow-up, and any missed results. They will also be liable if audiology request a MRI scan when contra-indicated.

  
  

• GMC Standards: Being named as a requester for a scan you have not reviewed or authorised contravenes GMC standards regarding accountability, honesty, and integrity.

  
  

• System Failure: The current situation is a system-level failing where GPs are being forced to absorb professional risk for decisions made by others.

  
  

The LMC proposed an "opt-in" mechanism to allow a safer transition, but the HB declined this in favour of a universal approach. We have engaged legal counsel to protect your interests and are continuing to press the HB for a compliant pathway where clinical responsibility rests with the actual decision-maker. The following points should be  considered when referring:

• Audiology can and should request the MRI under the name of their own assessors. Not under another GP's name to assess unilateral hearing loss. 

  
  

• GPs can request MRIs for certain conditions including MRI auditory canal or MRI brain, with appropriate information as per clinical guidelines.

  
  

• ENT should accept a referral if an ENT issue remains - such as unilateral hearing loss. If not accepted the Practice should datix and inform the LMC.

The newly launched General Practice & HB Clinical Interface Standards 1 and 5 are very clear about the need for transparency. We advise practices to remain vigilant regarding any requests appearing in their name that they have not personally authorised.

Many thanks

Morgannwg LMC"

We have written to SBUHB outlining these points and will provide updates in due course.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

If you receive correspondence following a referral regarding this matter via WCCG or other means, we can confirm that The LMC maintains the opinion that SBUHB audiologists should request MRIs in an ENT's consultant name and the LMC has no objection to this. The only safety measure that the LMC has ever asked is that these investigations are not requested or recorded under someone else’s name. 

Please could you kindly share with us a copy / scan of the actual correspondence  (anonymised). The LMC intend to take this up with the Clinical Leads.

In relation to the patient being referred, and to avoid any further delays, the LMC Exec would suggest that you consider requesting an MRI and then re refer the patient to ENT with result and symptoms of unilateral hearing loss.

For future patient referrals the LMC are suggesting that GPs take the following approach:

Dear Consultant ENT Specialist 

This patient has unilateral hearing loss. This is a specialist area outside the expertise of a GP. I am not the most appropriate professional to assess this further. Please investigate and treat as you feel indicated. I enclose a copy of the audiology assessment.

When we have any developments, we will update practices.