COVID vaccine - a plea from NHS staff

[Bleepertybleep]

Just had this message from a friend

Please make sure you and your Family all dig out your NHS number and have a copy of it immediately to hand for when you or they are called for a covid jab. From my colleagues having this number to hand really speeds up being able to administer the vaccine to as many people as possible.

You can find your NHS number on any NHS correspondence or through your patient access to your GP website.

It would be really helpful if you could share this message with friends and family.

I went for my jab and they didnt need it. Just my name and date of birth

When we got the flu jab this year we turned up outside all stood in a line and walked through the GPs building just being asked to confirm name and address. All verbal. Why would it be any different now? Are there chancers turning up to be vaccinated out of turn?

Im not sure. I’ve never needed NHS number for flu jabs either. I will ask why they are asking for this now

This 'plea' has been doing the rounds on social media for weeks.

Nhs number needed when the vaccination is recorded in the national data base, so whilst staff can search for it on the NHS spine, quicker if you can give it to the staff at the vaccination centre.
Particularly important if you are getting your vaccination outside of your actual GP practice.

Thanks for the explanation lifeisdinky

baroness. I had no idea that it had been doing the rounds and quite a few of my friends are hospital doctors. I just got the message today.

We needed ours, as staff working our own trust . Did not need it for flu jab in same place .

It's needed here for hubs.

GP surgery here, we pulled it off their records, far quicker (with dual monitors) than waiting for people to faff with pieces of paper etc.

It's hardly onerous to take it, so why not?, if they don't need it, it really doesn't matter does it.

My parents were phoned and there was no mention or request of NHS numbers.

The flu jab is the flu jab. However there will several different covid vaccines by the end of this year so you'd want to make sure you're getting the right one when you have your second dose. Unlike names or DOBs, NHS numbers are unique to you.

Genuine question, but I don't have an online account at the drs, afaik it's not offered at my practice and I don't get letters from them either. Would it not create more work asking for the number than hair turning up without it?

Take it you can, but please, please, please don't be put off attending for the jab if you don't know where it is.

And make sure your older relatives understand this.

It's helpful. that's all.

Sure I'll make sure to get that ready for June 2022

I had mine last week and it wasnt mentioned at all

We were told several times to bring ours. The senior doctor In front of me was genuinely surprised he couldn't just look it up on the hospital system. It took about 3 people to get this through to him. Good job I was wearing a mask to cover up my laughing at him.

I've been told I need to bring my NHS number.

Perhaps we should all have our NHS number tattoed onto our upper arms. It’s there then for when they need it in future - like every six months or so.

NHS numbers show up on hospital computers where I work

@onlyhereforthefood

GP surgery here, we pulled it off their records, far quicker (with dual monitors) than waiting for people to faff with pieces of paper etc.

I thought they would do this and to check the info is accurate.

You absolutely don’t need your NHS number to get the vaccine. See these two tweets/re-tweet from England’s Medical Director for Primary Care

It may be to stop people travelling to the UK to have the vaccine. A lot of countries are going to be months behind us.