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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU ... to ask you to cancel your vax appointment if you don't need it

184 replies

BruceAndNosh · 19/12/2021 18:05

Really frustrating!

I was volunteering at vax centre yesterday, all appointments.
Very busy as one vaccinator was off sick.

I was checking names off as people arrived among other duties.
The early appointments were boosters but late morning we had a couple of dozen 2nd doses booked in, and over half of them didn't turn up!
I assume that they a) forgot date of 2nd dose when they booked their 1st one 6 months before or b) had brought forward their 2nd dose and not cancelled the later appointment.

Yes, the booking system should be robust enough to avoid the latter option, but we know that it's working at full stretch.

Those slots could have been used by someone else.

OP posts:

blueshiningsea · 19/12/2021 18:08

I have a booster booked through the NHS site for 2 Jan but managed to book an earlier one for yesterday. There literally seems no option to cancel my Jan appointment online or through a telephone number, which is frustrating as I want to do the right thing.

JustJustWhy · 19/12/2021 18:09

I did that. The first booster appointment I could get was over a week away so I managed to get to a walk in.

When I got home I tried to cancel my original appointment but the website just kept sending me around in circles. I felt really bad about it though so I just tried again in the evening and managed to cancel it.

imip · 19/12/2021 18:10

It is impossible to cancel a booked appointment! I was unable to do this both online (which is the way I booked the vaccination) and by phone (I cannot recall this one, but I made every attempt and could not cancel it). It was very frustrating as I managed a walk-in as I had one child in hospital and one at home with covid and I was trying to boost my immunity to not get covid so I could see my child (off ward). Spent a lot of time trying to work out how to cancel it also.

GoodbyePorpoiseSpit · 19/12/2021 18:10

You can’t get online to cancel

MargotEmin · 19/12/2021 18:10

YABU. I needed to cancel mine because I tested positive. But the phone line at the clinic was permanently engaged avd the Gov.uk we sure where you can 'manage' your bookings permanently said I was 'in a queue' due to the amount of online traffic.

Thankfully the clinic had someone routinely phoning every patient ahead of their slot so I was able to cancel via him - but otherwise there was no means to.

SantaHat · 19/12/2021 18:11

To be fair, the system makes it nearly impossible
To cancel appointments!

YouCantTourniquetTheTaint · 19/12/2021 18:11

I couldn't go to my appointment due to my disability, I physically couldn't get there, and I tried to cancel it the night before, the morning of, both online and over the phone and I couldn't, there was no way of cancelling the appointment. It just told me to come back to the website the next day cancel and re-book.

Chouxfun · 19/12/2021 18:11

@blueshiningsea

Yes I had the same, had an invite through the doctors but managed to get one much sooner through the main booking system. I looked all over the booking info but no option to cancel- no contact numbers or anything. I called the GPs who said they couldn't access the system to edit appointments either, perhaps if it was easier people would.

imip · 19/12/2021 18:11

So glad I wasn’t the only person! Surely there should be some capacity for cancellations, esp as people may end up getting covid or have to care for someone with covid what would make turning up for the appt difficult.

MargotEmin · 19/12/2021 18:11

*website

ShottaSheriff · 19/12/2021 18:12

@blueshiningsea you can cancel appts booked through the NhS site as I did it. You select manage booking and use the reference no they sent in the text message. I did it just this week after getting access to an earlier appt

blueshiningsea · 19/12/2021 18:12

Thanks, will try x

RozHuntleysStump · 19/12/2021 18:12

Can’t get through to cancel. I couldn’t make my appointment. When I rung up it said ‘the queue has reached the maximum of 100 callers. Please call later.’ Click.

Svara · 19/12/2021 18:13

If someone was off sick and you were busy were you actually sitting around at any point? I'd have thought it would give you time to catch up. People are having to wait past their appointment time around here.

PinkiOcelot · 19/12/2021 18:14

M daughter had an appointment and couldn’t make it. She tried all ways to cancel but couldn’t and ended up just not going. Ridiculous.

thetinsoldier · 19/12/2021 18:14

@blueshiningsea

How did you manage that?? I had to cancel my booked booster to rearrange it. You can change it online - check the email you got when you booked.

Landof · 19/12/2021 18:15

Can someone tell me how you cancel appointments? I think yabu really because I'm in the same boat as others, I booked online then got contacted by GP surgery. Literally can't find a way to cancel the appointment 🤷‍♀️

Frederica852 · 19/12/2021 18:15

YABU. I tried to cancel because I managed to get it earlier at a walk in centre. There's absolutely no way to do so!

ShottaSheriff · 19/12/2021 18:15

If I recall correctly you have to select the option to rebook but then don’t select a slot and it then proceeds to the option to cancel without rebooking. It’s not as user friendly as it should be!

blueshiningsea · 19/12/2021 18:15

I’ve just tried through ‘manage booking’ and got this msg when I added in my personal details

AIBU ... to ask you to cancel your vax appointment if you don't need it

megletthesecond · 19/12/2021 18:16

I'm not allowed to do a walk in booster this week as I have a booster appointment next week. I'm dreading the next 10 days in case I get it. I really would cancel the appointment if I had it earlier. I didn't know people had trouble cancelling!

ShottaSheriff · 19/12/2021 18:16

I got a text message confirming the cancellation too so it definitely worked!

Notonthestairs · 19/12/2021 18:17

I went through "manage bookings" online. The system sent me round in a circle.
I ended up ringing the pharmacy and leaving a message.
I hate the idea that vaccinations were left unused but they definitely haven't made it easy to cancel.

Corneliusmurphy · 19/12/2021 18:17

Dp had a cold on his jab day and tried to cancel, it was basically impossible and he rang the gp in the end (on hold for twenty minutes) to see if they could get a message through 🤷‍♀️ There should be an easier way to cancel/reschedule.

woodlandarchitect · 19/12/2021 18:17

Can’t cancel the original appointments. Well known issue in our local area (it was on our local news!) so no idea how you weren’t aware.

At least you know now though!

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