Brigade Officials have been chasing up management regarding the Hepatitis Policy that we have been waiting for since it was approved by the Fire Authority. At a meeting on the 28th June Officials were told the Policy just about finished and ready to come out for consultation. In the interim period anyone who requires vaccinations should contact Occupational Health and seek instructions on the process in place up until the policy’s introduction. We have been told that the interim arrangements are that an individual can claim back the cost of the vaccinations charged by GP’s up to a certain limit. Please ensure you have clarified your own costs to be incurred and contacted Occ health for them confirm it is within the limits set prior to receiving the treatment. 

After being highlighted by local FBU members that some GP’s were now charging fire fighters for Hep B vaccinations the FBU campaigned management for reimbursement of any charges incurred by personnel. We can now report that at last months Fire Authority they approved that employees identified as at risk will be offered the opportunity via Occupational Health using an identified ‘outsource provider’ to obtain the required vaccinations. The cost of the vaccinations will be funded by the service.