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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be upset that people are jumping the booster queue?...

68 replies

Kingsmede · 15/12/2021 21:10

ONLINE! 😳

I was 3325 20 minutes ago....now 7564....

OP posts:
pinkstripeycat · 15/12/2021 21:59

I am in my 50s. Had my 2nd vaccine in June. Was called by GP 2 weeks ago. Had an appointment. When I got there queue was huge and most in queue were way younger than me. Talked to a few people as we were kept waiting outside a closed surgery. Most people in front of me had appointments after mine but they were at front of queue. No rhyme or reason to any of it. Waited half an hour past appointment time, got bored and left. Don’t care

Porfre · 15/12/2021 22:01

@PatriotCanes

I queued. I booked. I got to the centre yesterday only to have to join the queue round the block of walk ins. No one asked to see my booking reference once. No where was it listed as a walk in centre, I have no idea where all the buggers came from Grin
We cant turn anyone away.

We've been given guidance that anyone who turns up and is due a jab gets it there and then.

Porfre · 15/12/2021 22:03

Maybe it's your internet or browser.

Try a different browser on a different device.

DrManhattan · 15/12/2021 22:07

There are queue jumpers in real life too. I was at a large vaccination centre today. I had an appointment but they were letting walk ins come in, in the same queue. Had to wait 40 mins! Don't really understand the strategy there.

Muststopeating · 15/12/2021 22:09

Move up North (like waaaay up North). DH (33) got a text this evening. Went online and 3 mins later had an appointment for Friday.

We don't have deliveroo but our healthcare isn't completely on its knees (yet). Oooo and the traffic is soooo much better! Grin

Newnameobviously · 15/12/2021 22:09

I wish I knew how to 'push in' online. I'd never sit in the back row of a theatre again.

Porfre · 15/12/2021 22:09

Ive literally just checked. And was 2700 and then down to 2000 after about 30 seconds.

Change your browser

AgeingDoc · 15/12/2021 22:11

I wonder if it's something to do with location? Can they tell from your IP address or something where you are in the country, and if so, could people in areas that have more slots available go through quicker??
My son needs to book. I might try and do it for him in the middle of the night as I never sleep well anyway!

Theunamedcat · 15/12/2021 22:14

I was on etsy the other day shopping in a flash sale 20 people had the item in the basket and I checked out fastest sometimes the fastest Internet wins

CoffeeMuggins · 15/12/2021 22:15

Happened to me too. Bugged shite. Going tomorrow though.

Newnameobviously · 15/12/2021 22:17

DD son (29 yo) walked into our local south London NHS drop in yesterday and had his booster in 15 minutes. His 27 yo sister (in rural Essex) booked in yesterday for Friday. If this is typical of a 'broken' system I can't imagine how speedy an efficient system might be. I've heard similar timings from young friends for miles around.

And please note, I give all the credit for this to our wonderful NHS staff and the many volunteers dedicated to keeping us safe. Not one ounce of praise is due to that lying, duplicitous little gobshite BJ.

HangOnToYourself · 15/12/2021 22:18

Are you on your phone or laptop? I joined he queue on both devices at the same time and laptop I was through the queue of about 7000 in 10 mins but when I got in my phone was still at about 5000

NeedAHoliday2021 · 15/12/2021 22:19

Slots will start to open up. They are massively increasing capacity from Monday. I’m tasked with finding admin support the hospital can spare from out of my arse… which isn’t my job in any way but all hands on deck. It’ll all come together.

TawnyPippit · 15/12/2021 22:19

@AgeingDoc

I wonder if it's something to do with location? Can they tell from your IP address or something where you are in the country, and if so, could people in areas that have more slots available go through quicker?? My son needs to book. I might try and do it for him in the middle of the night as I never sleep well anyway!
Ooh, that’s a good thought. I’m in London, so we have a LOT of available centres - maybe that’s why we went through fairly quickly.
tangyandsalty · 15/12/2021 22:20

@NeedAHoliday2021

Slots will start to open up. They are massively increasing capacity from Monday. I’m tasked with finding admin support the hospital can spare from out of my arse… which isn’t my job in any way but all hands on deck. It’ll all come together.
Correct - our local vaccination centre is now open 24 hours.
DaisyWaldron · 15/12/2021 22:25

@Newnameobviously

DD son (29 yo) walked into our local south London NHS drop in yesterday and had his booster in 15 minutes. His 27 yo sister (in rural Essex) booked in yesterday for Friday. If this is typical of a 'broken' system I can't imagine how speedy an efficient system might be. I've heard similar timings from young friends for miles around.

And please note, I give all the credit for this to our wonderful NHS staff and the many volunteers dedicated to keeping us safe. Not one ounce of praise is due to that lying, duplicitous little gobshite BJ.

DH (47 yo) on the other hand, spent 3 days trying to get an appointment within reasonable public transport distance, finally got through and watched the appointments vanish as he tried to book them, and ended up with the first available appointment, on 7th January.
IncyWincySpiderOnRepeat · 15/12/2021 22:30

Happened to me too when I was trying to log in with a phone. I think I was accidentally refreshing the page when moving up and down the screen putting myself at the back of the queue…
Much easier on a laptop if you have one, load up the queue page and don’t touch it..

LittleMissA · 15/12/2021 22:36

Our drs surgery is letting you book an appointment for a booster using the nhs app. DH and I set it up and logged in yesterday and had a wide selection of dates and times at our surgery over the next fortnight. We were really impressed with how easy it was.

Ginger1982 · 15/12/2021 22:38

How weird. Here in Scotland you go onto the website, select a location then simply select an appointment on a date and at a time that suits.

OutIsay · 15/12/2021 22:46

Check local Facebook Covid support groups. According to the NHS website, our nearest walk in centre is 10+ miles away. We actually have two within a mile. The only reason I know is local Facebook groups.

gogohm · 15/12/2021 22:48

@Ginger1982 you can do that in England too, but you can also book directly with some gps and ccgs are organising their own clinics that aren't part of the national booking system eg we have walk in appointments locally for anyone is a certain area

zzzz31 · 15/12/2021 22:50

@LubaLuca

I know, virtual queues are not as effective as a good old-fashioned, real life, British queue. Who's there online to say "Excuse me, I am sorry, but I think you might not have noticed that there's a queue here. Sorry. No, stay there, it's fine, just thought you hadn't noticed. Sorry."?

Get to a walk-in clinic. It's so much less frustrating than being shunted down the queue by a computer.

Love this! So funny. That's me in a queue, alright Grin
HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 15/12/2021 22:52

I mist have jumped as I’ve got an appointment Xmas Grin

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 15/12/2021 22:54

How weird. Here in Scotland you go onto the website, select a location then simply select an appointment on a date and at a time that suits.

Except that’s not always the case, my family are unable to get an appointment in the area they live it, as are a few other areas.

Ginger1982 · 15/12/2021 22:55

[quote gogohm]@Ginger1982 you can do that in England too, but you can also book directly with some gps and ccgs are organising their own clinics that aren't part of the national booking system eg we have walk in appointments locally for anyone is a certain area[/quote]
So if you can do that, why are people having to wait ages in virtual queues?