COVID vaccination Status/COVID Recovery letters

How to access your COVID-19 vaccination status – Contact 119/use NHS App

Please Do not contact the practice about your COVID-19 vaccination status. GPs cannot provide letters showing your COVID-19 vaccination status. Please Download the NHS App or phone 119 to gain proof of vaccination status.

Through the NHS App:

You can access your COVID-19 vaccination status through the free NHS App. You can access the app through mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet. Proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status will be shown within the NHS App. We recommend that you register with the app before booking international travel. For access via the NHS App you do not need to contact the practice.

If you do not have access to the internet:

If you do not have access to a smartphone and know that the country you are travelling to requires COVID-19 vaccination status, you can call 119 and ask for a letter to be posted to you.

Request a letter only if you:

•           have been fully vaccinated by the NHS in England (you should wait 5 working days after your second dose)

•           are planning to travel in the next 4 weeks to a country that requires evidence of COVID vaccination

•           cannot access the digital service via the NHS App

We expect the letter to take up to 7 working days to reach you.

The letter will be sent to the address registered with your GP. The 119 call handler you speak to will not be able to see your address to check this with you. If you have recently moved house, make sure you’ve given your new address to your GP practice before calling 119.

Missing or incorrect COVID-19 vaccination data?

If you believe you have missing or incorrect COVID-19 vaccination data on your NHS app or on your GP record, please call 119 and ask the agent to make a referral to the Vaccine Data Resolution Service (VDRS).

The service has been set up to resolve missing or incorrect vaccination records for people vaccinated in England who have a current NHS number and are registered with a GP practice in England.

The VDRS team will call you back within five working days to discuss your records.

COVID infection recovery letters:

Options available for patients requiring letters confirming recovery after COVID infection are as follows:

Download the NHS App, you will be able to show a copy of your positive Covid result free of charge.  For your child, download the NHS App and then contact us at the practice to request ‘proxy access’ for children under 11 years – Including access to results. 

Please note: If your child is aged 16 years old+, they will also need to complete a proxy form which can then be either dropped in or emailed to us.

Patients may be able to use the email or text they would have received following a positive result

COVID recovery letter (Private/Non NHS service):

The practice can issue a ‘COVID Recovery letter’ (subject to GP workloads) however, there will be charge for this service.  You do NOT need to speak to a GP for this.

You must allow a minimum of 28 working days for this letter to be processed.

During busy periods we may not be able to provide this service and will advise patients at the time if this service has been suspended.

The letter will state:

That the patient recently tested positive for COVID

The date of the positive result

and will be signed by a GP and practice stamp

Important: A GP can only confirm the above information where it has been noted on a patient’s medical record. Where a patient has not recorded a result via the NHS recording system or had a PCR test, a GP cannot provide a ‘COVID recovery letter’

We cannot provide any further information. The charge for this service is £30.00 per letter/per patient as this is a private service and sits outside of NHS work and will involve administrative and GP time to prepare.

Letters will need to be collected in person from the practice.