Not to try booking an earlier appointment for my second vaccination...

[RandomLondoner]

... because the way the web site works makes me think there is a high risk that trying to do so will result in me getting a later appointment.

NHS sent me an SMS overnight inviting me to re-book my second vaccination for an earlier date. But when I follow the procedure, after identifying myself, the only option on the page is to cancel my current scheduled appointment. While "cancel" followed by "book" could logically achieve the objective of changing my appointment date, there's no way I'm pressing a button labelled "cancel" before I have a confirmed offer of a better date.

I've tried the "Book new appointment" route (as opposed to "Manage your appointments") but it leads to exactly the same option, to cancel my existing appointment before proceeding.

It may well be that the "cancel" button doesn't immediately cancel your existing appointment, and allows you to select a replacement date before finalising the transaction, but I have no way of knowing that. Unless someone who has done it can tell me what happens next?

I called the phone number offered as an alternative to on-line booking, but unsurprisingly, they were too busy to talk to me.

Who dares wins OP. Just do it.

I haven't yet been contacted about this but if they do I'm not going to re-book, my second appointment is only three weeks away as it is. I can wait for that.

I did this last night. It did feel strange to cancel my existing appointment. But I was able to make a new one tomorrow. And there were loads of times available in my area. So I was really impressed.

LIke @thetemptationofchocolate I am not going to rebook as mine is only two weeks away, and only a short bus ride away too. I won't be upset if someone a few years younger than me has a second dose before me.

I’ve just done this.
Took a chance to cancel appt for 1st June
Rebooked for this Tuesday

Unfortunately, because of the way the system works you have to cancel your existing appointment before you can book an alternative one.

Even if you speak to someone to do it they will still have to cancel your existing appointment before booking another one.

DH wants to change his as he wants to go to a more convenient centre, however he doesn’t want to risk hitting the cancel button, so I think he will suck it up. You are right, there is no way to change without first completely cancelling the existing appointment.

I was offered my second vaccination on Friday when I was volunteering as they had opened a batch, but I was concerned about how they would get it connected to my record so I declined and will wait until my booked appointment.

It’s a public sector website, no way am I going to trust it, I will just wait for my next appointment.
Can anyone explain where all of these extra appointments are coming from? I thought there was a shortage of vaccinations as India were holding some back for their own population.

DH was able to bring his forward from 2 weeks away to tomorrow.
Mine is also 2 weeks away and I too am reluctant to try to bring it forward because I'm quite limited in when I can attend.

Unless I lived in a place were the new variant was growing, I wouldn't chance it. You're well protected by your first dose. Watching the news this morning the people starting to fill the hospitals are unvaccinated and mainly over 65. I'd be careful out and about, though.

If you have just had a note their will be earlier appointments free.

We've just done this and there were loads of appointments free, earlier.

We’ve had to ask our patients to rebook the second appointments because our vaccine delivery dates have changed (it’s a ‘push’ system from NHSE so we get what we’re given when we’re given it, as opposed to ordering what we need). So it’s probably not that there’s ‘suddenly loads of free appointments’ but more that the vaccinators have had to rearrange a load of shifts to coincide with deliveries.

As pp said, if you’ve had a message it’s because they’ve created enough appointments.

Our second appointment was give to to us when we attended the first - there is no system for us to rebook, but it’s 2 weeks away now anyway, I’m happy with waiting.

Live in the back end of nowhere, wfh, only ds who leaves house regularly and he’s tested twice a week for school

To answer your question, you do have to completely cancel the appt before you can book another. I did this and ended up with an appt 4 days later which was all that was left

I have my 2nd appt booked in to a centre run by a local pharmacy, who have just put up an update on facebook to say please don't cancel your 2nd appt and try to re-book, you may not be able to get a fresh appt.
We are in an area with low covid rates so I would expect that new appts are being prioritised for areas with a lot of covid cases. I'm definitely not trying to re-arrange it now I've read that!

Can I just say thank you to RandomLondoner who started this thread, and everyone who provided useful information :-) I wanted an earlier appointment - hoping to be able to go abroad to visit very ill relative - but do not want to go until I've had my 2nd jab - and have worried about cancelling the one I had, in case I couldn't find anything until much later. Following this thread I tried it - and got something 2 weeks earlier! I'm so relieved!

Having said that though, I'm glad I didn't see the comment made by thetempation of chocolate until I'd rebooked it, I might not haved dared trying....

I've rebooked mine today too, brought it forwards by 3 weeks and there were tons of appointments in my area.
I had quite a while still to wait (8 weeks I think) and my appointment was miles from home so figured I didn't have much to lose.

Mine is only 2 and half weeks away so i am not going to worry.
I am to scared that if i cancel it, i will end up with one on a day I don't want.

I cancelled mine on Friday at 10pm (was booked for early June) and managed to get one on Saturday morning! Did the same for DH and loads of my friends did the same- All AZ. There were lots of slots all over SW London.

I'm not cancelling mine. I have got the perfect day and time for me even though it is 11.5 weeks after my first. Then again 42YO with no underlying health conditions I'm not classed as vulnerable so not sure if there is any need for me. I may possibly think about it if I get a text to, but I'm really happy with my current appointment even if it isn't until the end of July.

@Fairyliz

It’s a public sector website, no way am I going to trust it, I will just wait for my next appointment. Can anyone explain where all of these extra appointments are coming from? I thought there was a shortage of vaccinations as India were holding some back for their own population.

There's still lots of people refusing their vaccine. I guess that frees up availability for other people.

I wonder whether it's safer waiting an extra couple of weeks? I can just see it now... loads of people rushing at once for a jab...how many people are going to catch Covid from the vaccine centre?