GP childhood immunisation programme evaluation
Childhood vaccination uptake in Bradford District is considerably lower than the UK average, with marked inequalities across population groups. A GP at Modality AWC partnership in Keighley has implemented a programme widening access to vaccination across eight local practices to improve uptake among families.
What is already known about the subject
Childhood vaccinations are an important means of protecting children and communities from vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Improving vaccination coverage, particularly among underserved populations, is therefore an important local public health priority. The Keighley programme aims to improve access through proactive reminders and accessible community-based drop-in clinics.
Who we will be working with
We will be working with Dr Zoyah Hussain, as part of Modality AWC partnership who has been running the programme aimed at improving vaccination and the Public Health Team at Bradford Metropolitan District Council
What we will do
We will use routinely collected Connected West Yorkshire data to evaluate vaccination uptake among eligible children registered with the eight intervention practices and compare changes with those registered with non-intervention GP practices in Bradford District. We will examine vaccination uptake before and after implementation, changes in level and trend over time, and whether effects differ by age, sex, ethnicity and deprivation. We will also undertake a process evaluation to examine which programme components, such as text reminders, telephone calls, follow-up letters and community drop-in clinics, are associated with clinic attendance and vaccination.
What the benefit and impact will be
The study will provide evidence about whether this community-based approach improves childhood vaccination uptake and whether it helps reduce inequalities in uptake. Findings will inform local service planning and decisions about whether the approach should be continued, refined or implemented more widely across Bradford District and potentially other areas.
When the findings will be available
The planned study period is August 2026 to July 2027
Study duration:
08/2026-07/2027
The project is led by Dr Sunil Bhopal, Director of Child Health Research, Bradford Institute for Health Research
