Booking line officially accepting over 45s

[ittakes2]

I realise some people under 50 have been able to book via the nhs online booking system. But it has officially changed this morning to accept over 45s - so if you are over 45 and can't book online - please call 119 and they should book you over the phone.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

[Winditup]

Thank you, I didn't know about this and am booking now

[Rollergirl11]

I’ve just managed to book in DH online on national booking site. He is 48. Sooo pleased!!

[ThankyouPeter]

I've just tried and live 5 minutes from a huge vaccination centre. The website is only letting me book in Birmingham which is over an hour away. I've tried using random postcodes but it isn't giving me anything local. I'm going to keep trying for a couple of days I think although each time I try it tells me I missed my last appointment so I'm going to be on the naughty list.

[daisybrown37]

45 in May, so can’t book yet (I did try just in case my nearly 45 was enough!). So pleased that it is getting nearer though.

[Silkiescat]

Saw you could book this morning but site is being wierd.

This morning booked one locally for first asked if I wanted second dose there too put yes then it said well you can't so we have cancelled your first appointment too.

Then tried again said you didn't turn up for your first appointment (end April) so you need to book both. Then crashes about 100 times.

Finally got it to work, nothing local is available, I appeared to have booked one an hour away one way and second an hour away other way but no confirmation by e-mail as promised so not sure what is happening. Very odd nothing within an hour was on offer when it was first thing. I wonder if they've only fully loaded some places. I wondered about changing it but can't get it to accept I have appointments or rebook.

[OneStepInTheFuture]

@Silkiescat

Saw you could book this morning but site is being wierd.

This morning booked one locally for first asked if I wanted second dose there too put yes then it said well you can't so we have cancelled your first appointment too.

Then tried again said you didn't turn up for your first appointment (end April) so you need to book both. Then crashes about 100 times.

Finally got it to work, nothing local is available, I appeared to have booked one an hour away one way and second an hour away other way but no confirmation by e-mail as promised so not sure what is happening. Very odd nothing within an hour was on offer when it was first thing. I wonder if they've only fully loaded some places. I wondered about changing it but can't get it to accept I have appointments or rebook.

Same with us.... Chose appointments and put email/mobile info in and it took us back to the "book appointment" page.... Tried to input details again but it goes through to input booking reference number instead of choosing vaccine center/dates. So hoping it's gone through.

No email or text and it's been over a hour.

[ThankyouPeter]

Update from me. I tried again a few minutes ago and the local vaccination centre was available to book but the slots were being taken so quickly that they weren't available when it came to choose a time. Anyway there was a local pharmacy available so I have booked there for this Thursday. So my experience suggests it's worth checking every half hour to see what is on there. Completely different selection second time round. Also take a screen shot of appointments because I didn't receive a confirmation email as I was expecting.

[OneStepInTheFuture]

Did you have a screen confirming the booked slots?

Ours went straight from the input email screen back to the initial page when I clicked confirm and book. Not sure it went through

[Wellbythebloodyhell]

@ThankyouPeter

I've just tried and live 5 minutes from a huge vaccination centre. The website is only letting me book in Birmingham which is over an hour away. I've tried using random postcodes but it isn't giving me anything local. I'm going to keep trying for a couple of days I think although each time I try it tells me I missed my last appointment so I'm going to be on the naughty list.

It may be that the hubs closest to you are mainly concentrating on 2nd doses at the moment, keep trying every day to get something closer as new clinics are being added all the time. That's certainly the case in the hubs I'm working in at the moment theres very few 1st dose clinics most are 2nd doses

[ThankyouPeter]

@OneStepInTheFuture

Did you have a screen confirming the booked slots?

Ours went straight from the input email screen back to the initial page when I clicked confirm and book. Not sure it went through

I did get a confirmation screen but no email. If you go back to the booking page and scroll down there is an option to manage your bookings do you should be able to check there.

[sickofturkey]

I'm 34 and my doctors have sent me a link to book yesterday ! I don't have any medical conditions

[bookworm1632]

@OneStepInTheFuture

Did you have a screen confirming the booked slots?

Ours went straight from the input email screen back to the initial page when I clicked confirm and book. Not sure it went through

Mine was the same, but if I try again it asks for booking reference so think it has me down as booked.

Apparently there's a delay on the emails though ... who knows with government IT systems..

[BarbaraofSeville]

I've just booked mine for next week and some time in July at a local vaccination centre. There was a queue of a minute or two to get onto the website, but then it went smoothly.

I got a confirmation screen with two reference numbers on, which I took a photo of, and asked for details to be sent by text, which I haven't received, but I assume they'll come through in time.

DPs just had his second as he's got a health condition, so if vaccination passports become a thing, it means we'll be able to go on holiday or do whatever else rests on being vaccinated, some time after my second jab.

[lookdeepintotheparka]

Glad it's not just me having problems!! I don't understand why you can't book at all if you're unable to get appointments for both doses

I'm able to make my booking for the first one but currently I'd have to go over 50 miles away to get the second one!

[OneStepInTheFuture]

Still no email or text. And if I try input details it asks for booking reference number, which I didn't get....so still in noman's land.

[Rainbowsandstorms]

@OneStepInTheFuture I never got a confirmation text or email for mine and all was fine however I did get a screenshot of my booking reference.

[Hoppinggreen]

I managed to book my first appointment but then it told me there were no 2nd appointments at that venue.
Then it said because I didn’t attend my first appointment (in a weeks time) I had to start again and travel around an hour.
I actually want an appointment the week after next but I can only book for next week

[Springersrock]

I can’t book the second jab so it won’t let me book the first.

1st appointment not until May, so I’m wondering whether they just haven’t released August slots yet.

[OneStepInTheFuture]

[quote Rainbowsandstorms]@OneStepInTheFuture I never got a confirmation text or email for mine and all was fine however I did get a screenshot of my booking reference.[/quote]
The problem is, I never got a confirmation screen or booking reference number..... I clicked to confirm email and book and then got sent back to the first page.

[Rain1975]

Glad it’s not just me I got stuck in a loop earlier as couldn’t book my first without my second but it wouldn’t let me book anything past the end of April. Will try again later 😁

[Silkiescat]

Never got email so called 119 and after 10 minutes or so got it. Cancelled as very far and don't drive and you have to cancel both, rebooked but similar distance, still nothing in our region.

[lookdeepintotheparka]

Just tried again and easily made both appointments. I don't think system was fully updated this morning but now got one for next week - sooner than was available on the website earlier!

Just thought I'd update incase this helps anyone else....

[Silkiescat]

I've got both booked, one for 30th April an hour away and then one mid July an hour away. There's nothing in our county at all.

Trouble is if you cancel its a gamble what you will get and you have to cancel to change. I hope we can find places, never been to either. But one is by a lido so I booked that for after so something to distract me as I'm very anxious about it. I don't drive so DH will take two half days off work to take me. No e-mails have come through for any so I copy and paste it into an e-mail.

[BarbaraofSeville]

It looks like there's a big variation in availability. I got the choice of several venues within a few miles and all sorts of times.

For both doses I chose early on Friday evening in the local small town where we normally do our shopping, banking etc.

Next week at least, we're going to pick up Chinese takeaway on the way home.

[OneStepInTheFuture]

I ended up calling 119 and getting the booking reference numbers. It was reassuring to k ow it had gone through.

Texts arrived today confirming and saying where/when the appointments are.