Vaccinations and nepotism

[Mintypylonsfryingsurplus]

Obviously most of us want the vaccination and an end to this nightmare.
But I am aware of several people that have jumped the queue.
1st family Son works in GP surgery in non patient admin role 44 slight asthma never shielded worked throughout. Got vaccine due to leftovers. Great in a way as vaccines should never be wasted. Then got his Mum and stepdad a vaccine (late 60's no health conditions) a vaccine also. Yes they are older but live 32 miles from the surgery so not their surgery and drove a considerable distance. Was told to be there by 4pm in the am of that day.
I thought surely local people who use that surgery should be prioritised especially health care or other frontline workers?
Ok I thought just a one off.
Then one of my DH friend aged 39 again works in surgery occasionally covers reception through a glass booth/ appointment only got the vaccine too. Her partner again about 12 miles but a different county away aged 41 works from home got vaccinated a week later.
They were foolish enough to put on fb (now taken down) as some people were understandably a bit pissed off with this. Comments such as who you know, driving long way not in spirit of lockdown to the outraged as many elderly/ frail/ frontline still patiently in queue.
I am not judging as those that want it will get it eventually, and no vaccine should be wasted, I am just wondering if this is quite common to others too?
It does seem divisive?

@Didiplanthis
No one is paying the surgeries for this
It's great that you're working hard on this and I don't mean this as criticism, but what you have written isn't accurate. Surgeries are absolutely being paid; the latest figures I've seen were £12.58 per dose plus £30 bonus for care homes per dose. That's far more than the flu vaccine, which also requires booking and organisation.

My 89 year old grandad got called at 4pm on a Friday asking if he could be at a vaccination centre in an hour. Unfortunately the answer was no as he couldn’t make a trip like that by himself and no one could take him at such short notice. Thankfully they were then able to offer him a proper appointment time the next week, and my mum took him in.

But the point is they did call him! But to be ho eat it would be easier not to as he was then stressed about the whole thing. And I’d rather any leftover doses went to volunteers or literally anyone than being wasted.

Yes, my friend's mum is vaccinating and they go for a look around the hospital at the end of the day offering the vaccine.

I didn't really believe it, but then someone at my work (aged 25, no health complications, works from home - most of my team go into schools, she doesnt) said that a family friend rang her and her boyfriend to rush up to the hospital last week to get vaccinated at the end of the day.

It does seem unfair, but then what's the alternative?

Ipswich service has a walk in service that you just turn up and it was pretty empty...you needed to be a carer but no proof was asked so technically people could have got it done, but I would rather have it when I'm meant to have it and not que jump. I'm a carer so I got mine but I would be worried about just turning up when not entitled.

Brilliant. Every vaccine done is a step in the right direction

Hm, what I understand surgeries are (only) getting paid if/when they have delivered the second dose of the vaccin

@Didiplanthis

I can 100% guarantee that no family or friends are being given 'spare' doses from our vaccines as we think it is inappropriate... also the '6th' dose in the Pfizer cannot be booked in as its not a guaranteed full dose.. the vials have 5 full doses... it 'may' be possible to get a 6th dose out but it cannot be counted in the appointments offered. Its is currently a bloody logistical nightmare .. it took 11 additional reception hours to book the last batch in at short notice ( as we only know its coming when it arrives). Over and above normal work. No one is paying the surgeries for this... we are needing to staff the surgeries to deliver vaccination over and above normal work when we are struggling to cover even the basics. Amazing how a few reports of people doing something out of the norm is enough to condemn the entirety of those trying to deliver a nightmare service who have quite frankly been thrown to the wolves over this whole bloody thing by the powers that be ..

I am really interested to know how surgeries, especially the gps and nurses are finding the time to do this as well as their other work? Where have they found the time? They must be busy with other patients to see too?

I live in a large town with maybe 12 or 14 GP surgeries. There is a surgery doing the vaccinations for their practice & 2 others and the other surgeries send their patients to the large vaccine hub as do surgeries from the surrounding areas.

The GP practice has so far just done 1 week of vaccinations at one of its surgeries (there are 3 surgeries at this practice) due to supply so their other 2 operated as normal.

Those sending their patients to the mass hub obviously carry on as normal so not every GP practice will actually be vaccinating.

I am a non-medical volunteer at the big hub.

They do have a reserve list that they call if there is going to be surplus and obviously some patients can get there on short notice and some cannot.

The people coming so far that I have seen have either been elderly maybe 95% and the other 5% healthcare workers - I know my dentist in her 40s was done elsewhere last week.

Watermelon999 Our surgery has been excellent all through this. They sent out a text a week ago saying that they can only deal with urgent stuff at the moment due to staff being redirected to vaccine roll out and isolating staff. They also say that prescriptions will take longer to process. Far enough in the circumstances.

They sent out a text 2 weeks ago addressing the abuse they have received from patients. I feel very sorry for them.

We live a two minute walk from the surgery. If they called us to have a vaccine at the end of the day I would be there in 3 minutes. I don't think they will, but I would definitely take it or my husband would. He is 63 with one kidney and had cancer for many years. I am 57 with other health issues which make we vulnerable.

@Nonamesavail Where is this walk from n service in Ipswich?

I thought most people were going to trinity park except for two rivers and Ivry street patients where surgeries are doing their own patients.

[quote ElinoristhenewEnid]@Nonamesavail Where is this walk from n service in Ipswich?

I thought most people were going to trinity park except for two rivers and Ivry street patients where surgeries are doing their own patients. [/quote]
Ipswich hospital. Dont know the days but I know it was open Saturday and Sunday when I went. Its for health care workers including agencies and home carers.

Anyone with couples (and elderly support bubbles) booking in... worth them asking to book together when the first one gets a text. My dad and aunt were just texted to book and the GP let dad book both of them plus mum even though she wasn't officially summoned yet. Different GPs in their case, but all going through the same hub. 3 of them to work out where they're going on arrival should be easier, plus hopefully less admin on the GP side to get them all booked in and just the one parking spot needed.

@Watermelon999
I’m working at a hub as a vaccinator. Each session has 2 GPs and a practice nurse plus one of the admin staff. These are from 10 different practices.
Everyone else - 4 vaccinators, 6 further admin, stewards, reception and car park are all volunteers. We are paid - £11 per hour for a vaccinator. I am a dentist and obviously normally earn a lot more than that!
So it is taking away some staff but they are still getting through the patient care as well.

@nonamesavail many thanks for information

1. This was ALWAYS going to happen, because it's life - it's WHO you know, not what.

2. Every vaccine given is helping to bring down community transmission, whether that person is 18 or 80. In fact, arguably the younger you are, the more likely you are to be out and about in the community, getting and transmitting Covid.

3. Hopefully, in the next few months we will have more doses than people in the UK, so there will be plenty to go round.

@Nonamesavail @ElinoristhenewEnid

That was running as walk-in over the weekend but if possible my understanding is that the hospital would really prefer health staff to book as booking in advance (even just on the day) facilitates calling back to a second dose much more easily. If you are a health or social care and you did walk in if you register retrospectively that will help a lot.

[quote Nacreous]**@Nonamesavail* @ElinoristhenewEnid*

That was running as walk-in over the weekend but if possible my understanding is that the hospital would really prefer health staff to book as booking in advance (even just on the day) facilitates calling back to a second dose much more easily. If you are a health or social care and you did walk in if you register retrospectively that will help a lot.[/quote]
Thank you. They had a link up that you could scan and it takes you to a website that you register on to do your 2nd dose so made it very easy.

Many places are doing this. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be binned if not used once defrosted. My healthy husband of 35 got it in mid December due to people missing their appointments in a large London hospital. They offer excess to staff, his whole research laboratory have now had it. All young and non-patient facing.

@Scottishgirl85

Many places are doing this. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be binned if not used once defrosted. My healthy husband of 35 got it in mid December due to people missing their appointments in a large London hospital. They offer excess to staff, his whole research laboratory have now had it. All young and non-patient facing.

Yes I know staff had it who are on maternity or admin etc.

I was reading about a 50 year old man who took his 82 year old Dad for the vaccine and as they had spare they gave him one too. Sounds very sensible
I think in some countries the Pfizer vials are licensed for a 6th dose, I have Dr Sahin on my LI and he posted about it yesterday but I can’t remember which country it was.

Several counties are using the 6th vaccine but they have lined up more of that group to have them, not just handed them out

For those asserting that the surgery gets 'paid' for the jabs, that's only partly correct.

They do indeed receive money.

The money is not nearly enough to cover costs for staff, renting premises, admin time.

The GPs are doing this at a loss because this is the right thing to do for the country, whilst trying to keep all their other services going. It's bloody hard work.

The chemists etc. offering jabs will be doing so for lower risk, 'walk in' patients and therefore have more chance of breaking even or actually making money from the payment. The more expensive situations e.g. care homes - where £10 per jab does not cover the extra costs by some margin! - will be left to GPs to do as no private provider would be inclined to touch them as money can't be made.

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum - it's £30 per jab for care homes. Say 40 patients and staff in a small care home, that's £2400 for a doctor + helper to attend for two half days, so 2 full days wages plus petrol money, PPE, pens. You're suggesting a GP can't possibly make that work financially. Why not? Provide a cost breakdown.

I'm not a GP so oddly enough I'm not privvy to their accounts. I take your point about £30 - it used be £10 but it has increased without my realising. I was answering on the basis of £10.

I agree with you that it's much more likely to be viable and break even now! At £10 they would be making a loss (as they are with the vaxes for the general public - on average, clearly not every PCN is the same and some will have premises they don't need to pay for, a CCG who is able to foot more of the bill, better access to volunteers etc) I would, however, point out that I'm consistently surprised how expensive all of this shit is. When my other half (an actual GP) gets home I'll ask him if he has anything to add to this. But I am sorry for getting the £10/£30 thing wrong!