THE private healthcare company behind the recent separate Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) clinics held in Darlington, is advising GPs to claim target payments from the Government.

Although the Government wants doctors to use the MMR injection, the law is not specific about the type of vaccine needed to reach the target.

Doctors are required to vaccinate a specific number of children against measles, mumps and rubella each year to obtain their bonuses. As a result, many are concerned that if parents are taking their children to private clinics for the single vaccination programme the targets may not be reached.

However, while Government guidelines are that children should be vaccinated against the viruses it is not specified whether this is with the combined or single vaccination.

Kathryn Durnford, of Direct Health 2000, said: "We believe the law is on the side of GPs who want to claim their target payments for either the single or separate MMR injections. We have a system in place so our patients can keep their GPs informed in order that target payments can be claimed."

She said: "We endeavour to ensure that parents let their doctors know if their child has been vaccinated by us by giving them a letter to pass on to their GP. The letter contains everything the doctors need to know."

Dr John Canning, a Middlesbrough GP and British Medical Association spokesman, said while he personally backed the Government's triple vaccine programme he could see no reason why the single vaccines given by Direct Health 2000 should not count towards local immunisation targets.

But he said there was an argument that the group should inform the GPs rather than leaving it to parents.