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

[BruceAndNosh]

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.

@blueshiningsea

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

Yes that's the message I had.

Okay I have just managed to cancel it now, through the email but I'll be honest, it wasn't straightforward. They need to also have the link on the text message too.

Managed to cancel DH’s no problem.

I needed to cancel a booster appointment as I was in a&e with my 5 year old. Zero way to do it online and it really wasn't an option to faff going in circles on the phone

Because I booked on the NHS site but my GP clinic then sent me a booking link to a much more local site, with immediate slots. Weird that it’s not linked all together

I couldn't cancel either...the message basically implied that the booking couldn't be cancelled and could only be rebooked once you had missed the original appointment

This area has been told not to, because the phone lines are overwhelmed. They’ve said they will reschedule automatically for January for those that can’t make their date.

@blueshiningsea

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

Yes that's all I got too !!!

@megletthesecond

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!

Why are you not allowed ???

I tried to do this, you can cancel if you have a booking reference on the website , but impossible over the phone

I easily cancelled mine when I was offered an earlier appt at a local pharmacy. Just followed the same link from the original text message I received. I keep getting text messages asking me to rebook though, even though my vaccine status has fully updated in the NHS app.

I had an email cancelling my booster appointment so I went to a walk in instead.

When I checked on the app, my original appointment had been rescheduled but I hadn't been told about the new date/time. If I hadn't checked, I wouldn't have known anything about it.

DH had booster booked for 18th but managed to get a walk in at a local chemist he happened to stroll past when walking the dog (they even held the dog lead for him!)

He's tried to cancel the original appointment multiple times and it's impossible. There was even a message at one stage telling people cancelling booster appointments not to bother.

lulu the local walk In site won't accept anyone with a booking after Xmas. Maybe it's due to capacity.

I’m another who tried to cancel but couldn’t. I came down with norovirus on my appointment day but the website wouldn’t let me cancel so I just had to not turn up. I felt terrible!

No option to cancel mine either so called helpline as hate to waste peoples precious time and she said you can't and have to cancel it the next day

@megletthesecond the walk has no idea who has a booking , they cannot access that information.

I managed to cancel mine through website after I'd got an earlier one through GP. It was really easy.

So weird how the system seems to be playing up for people.

I thought it was just me! I booked a booster for Jan but managed to get a booster jab early this week through my work. When I tried to cancel my jan appointment that evening, it literally would not cancel. Just took me round in a stupid loop. Received an email this morning automatically saying it’s now cancelled. Must be linked to the NHS number every time they do an update so can see who’s had a booster and cancel subsequent appointments automatically

I had booster appt yesterday. .I couldn't go as I felt unwell. system told me I couldn't cancel appt until today. madness.

The system is inefficient.
I had a "walk-in" booster as soon as I could. Properly registered as far as I can tell.
Despite telling my GP about it, I've had reminders from GP & NHS to get it.

It's bloody IMPOSSIBLE to cancel a booster!

And I hate the way that if you immediately respond to the text and say you can't make the date they give you two alternatives literally a day or so later... then nothing.

WTF?!

LET ME TELL YOU WHEN I AM AVAILABLE!

There is no obvious way to cancel. It needs to be straightforward, or even possible, otherwise this is exactly what is going to happen

Seems it worked out ok if one vaccinator was off sick. Imagine if they’d all turned up.

I cancelled DS's 2nd jab booking when I managed to take him to an earlier walk-in appointment. It was just after the annoucement last week so hopefully someone will have been able to jump into his spot!