To call GP and ask this?

[flobberdobberr]

WIBU to call GP and ask politely if they could give me a ring if any spare vaccines left at the end of the day and say I could be there quickly.

Background
•I am not trying to cut in line or anything, I've just heard of this happening first hand.
•I'm in the clinically vulnerable category but not clinically extremely vulnerable. I don't think I would survive it due to my circs though.
• I don't want to come across as cheeky. But if vaccines are going to waste I'd rather I had one so my kids can go back to school without fear when they open.
• Having worked in GP surgeries before, I know that they will have lists printed off of who to call, but it might be hard to fill last minute gaps.

Genuine opinions because I'm probably just a bit desperate and won't call if it's really cheeky. Would just accept that I'm being a cheeky fucker and shouldn't be so selfish.

Yeah I didn't get in touch and won't. Realised that pretty much as soon as I'd posted.

Fwiw I wasn't trying to beat somebody else to the post at all. I thought there was a lot going to waste (not from anything I've seen online, my husbands friends have had theirs through being called to surgery by family to reduce waste, they have no underlying problems).

I'm just a very tired very poorly mum trying to make sense of stuff.
Thanks for putting me in my place

Please don't call in our area I know of 80+ year olds with appointments in March for their first, hopefully if there is any spare doses they'll be called.

I wouldn’t ring the GP as they’ve asked people not to, but people definitely are getting spare doses.

DH got a text from a local vaccine ‘hub’ and had the vaccine (He was only offered one same day slot). He said loads of people in the queue were 40-60 years old. They were filling up appointment slots not already filled by over 70s/vulnerable people, all of whom were either vaccinated, booked in for a later date or had refused the vaccine.

I hope you get your vaccine soon, too, OP.

You sounds nice OP 🙂

I hope you get your letter/phone call soon

I think you have been given a hard time here OP. Its been all over the news about this happening! However, your GP would be unlikely to have spare doses. This is because (hope I'm right here) in your GP surgery its likely they will be having AstraZeneca doses. These can be stored normally as most GP surgeries wouldn't be able to store the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccination centres where they have facilities (mine is a local hospital) would be able to store Pfizer but may have the issue of spare doses because of its short shelf life. Trouble is you wouldn't have a way in there. I can see why you asked though. You didn't deserve the pile on.

@flobberdobberr

Its not a bad idea, on an individual basis it makes sense its just that the volume of people having similar ideas that has caused the issue

No. Please do not do this. The priority list is there for a reason. Surgeries should have a list of people they can call on and they should be higher up the priority list than you. There are plenty of others who are in an older age bracket or cev who should receive it before you. You are being very selfish.

The Astra Zeneca (Oxford) also has a short shelf life of 4 hours from first use.

I spent 2 1/2 hours today ringing 45 over 80's to book them in for a clinic on Saturday. The list is much longer and will have to ring loads again tomorrow. We will still have people on the list that will not be able to be booked in this time but they will be on the back up list. If we have any spare we will ring them to come to the surgery immediately. We won't be ringing people who are not in the eligible category yet.

@NichyNoo

You could try but all the spare vaccines I hear about are going to friends and family of people working in surgeries, admin in hospitals - basically people who are already in the building or have received a heads up and can get there immediately (please don’t accuse me of being a troll - I work in healthcare).

This is true. My friend is young and works from home in an admin role and got her jab over two weeks ago! She had to be there that afternoon for spare jab - does seem a bit wrong

There are some occasional spares from people who don't turn up. Better to use them than throw them away.
I work for the NHS btw

YABU. And entitled. Wait your turn.

The GP’s have been told to stick strictly to category- vaccine can only be given to someone not in the current level if they have tried everyone else suitable first. Even then they have been asked to make it as close to the level as possible- e.g if doing over 80’s then a 78/9 year old wound be preferable to a 65 year old. This is precisely to avoid the younger, often more mobile people, from jumping in ahead of the older groups because “they can jump in the car and be there within minutes”. If it’s done for one, word will rapidly get out and the gp’s will be inundated with calls and moans (“well, so and so got it, it’s not fair if I can’t too”) and people who all have their own reasons for wanting it sooner- some will have better reasons than others. But the reality is the levels should be stuck to if at all possible to ensure fairness and clarity.

I am appalled at the suggestion that NHS staff are vaccinating their friends and family ahead of clinically vulnerable people. I work in the NHS and haven't seen this at all. If there is actual evidence of this occurring then it should be reported, otherwise it's, at best, just hearsay and, at worst, another excuse to bash the NHS staff.

Our GP has a standby list for vaccine which I am on , it’s perfectly reasonable to email and ask if they have a list and if you could be added .

I was volunteering at a vaccine centre yesterday. Had a woman turn up with her husband, who had an appointment, asking if she could also have one. I explained that all the vaccines for the day were allocated. She told me that all her friends had gone with their husbands and been given them when they asked. I asked where that was, she said 'here' and I had to explain very politely that no, they really hadn't.

We did the over 80's at the surgery today. In order not to waste any doses we rang 4 people on the clinically vulnerable list, who we will be vaccinating after the over 80's have been done who live a very short distance from the surgery, less than 10 mins walk, and they were vaccinated at the end of the clinic.

@VicSynix

I was volunteering at a vaccine centre yesterday. Had a woman turn up with her husband, who had an appointment, asking if she could also have one. I explained that all the vaccines for the day were allocated. She told me that all her friends had gone with their husbands and been given them when they asked. I asked where that was, she said 'here' and I had to explain very politely that no, they really hadn't.

I do know a number of people who have been given a spare vaccine when they've taken spouse or a friend to have theirs. They've all been in the right age category though. So that does happen.

I don't think they'd do what the OP asks though, as once you've done it for one, they'll get other people expecting the same.

@Serin

I am appalled at the suggestion that NHS staff are vaccinating their friends and family ahead of clinically vulnerable people. I work in the NHS and haven't seen this at all. If there is actual evidence of this occurring then it should be reported, otherwise it's, at best, just hearsay and, at worst, another excuse to bash the NHS staff.

Usually when they are left over , there is a time limit. We had 45 mins the other day to get 9 people in.

Your friends who have been called in for the leftovers are presumably in your locale?
One thing is certain, if you don't ask you won't get.
Worst that can happen is you get told 'No' - then you feel like a right cf for a couple of hours.