Meningitis Outbreak Update

Dear colleagues,

Thank you once again for your continued hard work during what is an exceptionally challenging and fast‑moving situation.

As you will understand, our response to the meningitis outbreak is evolving rapidly. Yesterday, we have received guidance in a letter from NHS England which provides guidance on what general practice should do. As Kent and Medway is at the centre of this outbreak we have clinics set up to provide antibiotic prophylaxis.

These clinics have been established because of the volume of prophylaxis required in Kent and Medway:

• It helps reduce pressure on primary care, UTC/ED, NHS 111, and community pharmacies.
• We have plenty of Ciprofloxacin available at these designated sites.

We now have six antibiotic prophylaxis clinics in operation; these are:

1. James Williams Healthy Living Centre, Pentagon Centre, Military Road, Chatham, ME4 4HY: Thursday 19, Friday 20, Saturday, 21 March, 8.30am to 5.30pm and Sunday, 22 March: 10.30am to 2.30pm.
2. Vicarage Lane Clinic, Ashford, TN23 1NJ: Thursday, 19 March, 8.30am to 7.30pm.
3. Senate Building, University of Kent, CT2 7NZ: Open daily from 9am to 5pm.
4. Gate Clinic, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury CT1 3NG: Open daily from 8.30am to 8pm.
5. Thanet Community Health Hub, Northwood Road, Broadstairs, CT10 2WA: Open daily from 8.30am to 8pm (last patient 7.30pm).
6. Westgate Hall, Westgate Hall Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BT: Open daily from 8.30am to 7.30pm

Full details are on our website

Community Pharmacy plays a vital role in supporting our patients and we ask that you:

• Please continue to signpost close contacts to the specially set up clinics wherever possible, as this will help manage pressures and patient contacts and volumes. It will also protect community ciprofloxacin stocks locally
• Please ensure you maintain adequate stock levels and continue to select stock carefully, given the unprecedented demand. The ICB is working with DHSC to ensure supplies to K&M Pharmacies are prioritised.

Other Key update:

• The helpline has launched – for worried but non symptomatic people. Opening times are 9am -5pm Number: 0344 225 3861. We will produce some posts to confirm and share on socials, please ask pharmacies to share from there.
• FAQs are now up on our website -these will continue to develop -if you are aware of questions circulating that aren’t answered let us know . We will also include antibiotic numbers here

Please continue to share our social posts.

• https://www.facebook.com/NHSKentandMedway/
• https://x.com/NHSKentMedway
• https://www.instagram.com/nhskentmedway/
• https://x.com/UKHSA
• https://www.facebook.com/UKHealthSecurityAgency
• https://www.facebook.com/NHS.
•  We are also sharing on tik tok

Thank you for your continuing support, flexibility, and professionalism as we work together across the system to manage this incident.
Best wishes,

Gaye Lewington                                                  Mark Anyaegbuna
Chief Pharmacist                                                Chief Executive Officer
NHS Kent and Medway ICB                              Community Pharmacy Kent