The government will remove red tape, allowing doctors and pharmacists to prescribe flu medicines year-round to reduce winter pressures and protect the NHS.
As part of its commitment to reduce winter pressures and protect the NHS, the government is removing the restriction that means certain flu medications cannot begin to be prescribed outside the usual ‘flu season’ until an annual letter of confirmation from the Chief Medical Officer is received, which can lead to delays in treatment.
These rules are being removed so action can be taken to tackle flu all year round. This will allow patients to receive treatment sooner and ease winter pressures by allowing outbreaks to be contained.
The move is part of the government’s ongoing drive to slash unnecessary bureaucracy in the health service through the red tape challenge and put power back in the hands of clinicians on the frontline.
It coincides with the NHS launching this year’s improved flu vaccine programme. The autumn rollout kicks off with flu vaccines for millions of children and pregnant women, and it follows the recent introduction of the chickenpox vaccine for thousands of children and the RSV vaccine for pregnant women and older adults across the country, as the government continues building the NHS’s defences ahead of winter.
Health Minister, Stephen Kinnock, said "Flu can strike all year round, so it doesn’t make sense to restrict doctors and pharmacists from taking action to protect the most vulnerable in their communities. That’s why, as well as starting the flu vaccination programme today, we are also removing the need for clinicians to have to ask for permission to prescribe what their patients need. It is exactly the type of change we wanted to see when we launched the red tape challenge to bulldoze bureaucracy and prioritise patients over paperwork."
While the number of flu outbreaks outside of the ‘flu season’ in October to March is relatively low, the potential outcomes are no less severe. Removing these barriers now will enable the NHS to respond more quickly to health challenges year-round, strengthening its preparation for winter.
Until now GPs and pharmacies had to be commissioned via a patient-specific direction to prescribe certain medicines, which led to delays. It also meant clinicians could prescribe some medicines and not others.
The reasons for the restrictions no longer apply, and removing them means clinicians can provide the right treatment at the right time to patients. Specifically this change will allow oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) and zanamivir (Relenza®) to be prescribed and dispensed outside the flu season.
These antivirals are recommended for treatment of those at highest risk of severe disease outside of the flu season, following a confirmatory test for flu. They are also recommended to prevent disease in specific settings such as care homes where confirmed cases of flu have occurred.
Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist for immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said: "While the majority of influenza cases and outbreaks occur during the flu season, we do continue to see outbreaks outside the peak period. These changes will allow primary care providers and health protection teams to respond more rapidly with effective treatment to reduce the risk of severe disease and the spread of infection at any time of year."
As the flu vaccination programme gets underway, vaccine teams are working across the country to make it as easy as possible for those eligible to get their jabs - with some school providers now offering vaccines in nursery settings for 2 to 3 year olds for the first time ever.
Expectant mums and all children aged 2 to 16 are eligible for the flu vaccine, expanding to 6 months to 18 years old for those in clinical risk groups.
The NHS national booking system has also now opened for all eligible individuals to book their winter flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, with appointments starting from 1 October 2025.
