Hubs for CV19 Vaccine

[Bathroom12345]

My DM has been offered a vaccine as she is over 80 but walks with a frame so cannot travel far. I live 100's of miles away. I have tried to book her a slot but there are places over 8 miles away and its not feasible for her to go.

I spoke to 119 and the agent said that she needed to check with her GP (who are not great and who have nothing on their website about offering/not offering the jabs).

I am thinking as they are trying to vaccination one of the most difficult age groups at that moment that really the GP's or local chemists should be offering to do them?

If I was offered one miles away I would jump in my car but for the elderly especially in London and the big cities this is not feasible.

Could anyone more knowledge tell me what the arrangements are for GP's to do them going forward.

If it means that I need to take some time off from work to go to London and drive her to a hub that is of course fine but if anyone has some inside knowledge that would be great. It would probably mean an overnight stay with her as well

119 did say to keep checking but unless suddenly her local pharmacy or GP appears on the list I think I might have to get her there myself.

(And transport to apts is usually sorted out via the GP)

So it looks like Ealing Town Hall is being used by a couple of GP’s practises so why wouldn’t she be allowed to use it? I will speak to her practise on Monday. Hope they don’t over complicate it.

Will report back. The Town Hall would be fine. She knows where it is and if transport is provided that be be wonderful.

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. You sometimes forget that the very elderly worry and dare I say fuss and bother about things that you and I just get on with.

@Bathroom12345 are you on Facebook?
If so take a look for Ealing Covid-19 Mutual Aid - it's a closed group with over 5000 members. I am a member of a similar network in my local area. There will undoubtedly be many willing volunteers happy to help your mother.

Thank you again all. She is actually nearly 90 and is bored silly at home. Getting her out to do something like this will be exciting for her as well. Lots of old folks around as well.

@Bathroom12345

Ealing Town Hall is a definite possibility. She can get the bus there but why didn’t it come up when I went onto the NHS booking site?

Will look into it further though.

Thank you.

There are basically 2 choices for getting an appointment. One is to book it via the national booking system. This provides access to appointments at mass sites and pharmacies. Eligible cohorts are sent a letter with a code that allows them to book. The alternative is to wait for an invite from your GP hub.

Although this sounds a bit daft, the ability of GPs to invite their patients meant they were able to get going in December before the booking system was available. The GPs have done the lions share of the vaccine to date.

There is also a possibility that your parent is listed as housebound. The GP hub is organising home visits to this group. They just need to green light that it’s safe to move the vaccine from house to house. This is because it comes in vial of 10 doses which will be pierced on first use. It will be another first for the Uk to be able to go from home to home administering vaccine.

@Bathroom12345

My great aunt aged 90 lives in Ealing. She has loads of friends (never met someone so popular ) and said they’ve all been getting appointments at the town hall. She got offered at south hall but eventually got an appointment at the town hall.

Mum knows how to get to Town Hall. Bus will get her there with her walker. The bus lowers the step when she gets on. Will call the GP tomorrow. If they cannot book her in then I will ask whether she can have a home visit.

That's great. Let us know when she's jabbed if you can be bothered, it's nice to have a mini happy ending.

Sorted! She is booked into Ealing Town Hall via the GP Surgery who I spoke to earlier!

Thank you MRex for telling me about this centre. She is more than happy to get herself there. Bit of a day out and something more interesting then going to her corner shop for basics yet again.

I guess the mass hubs and the odd pharmacy will come into their own once they vaccinate the more tricky age group. We will literally just book and go to these hubs.

That’s great.
Basically makes a bit of a mockery of the “don’t call the gp” plea though if in fact that is what is needed.

That's excellent!

Frazzled - that is what I was thinking. I didnt want to be THAT person who was ringing the GP, clogging up their lines and demanding my family member was done first for xxx reason.

Having said that the first thing they asked me was whether she had a letter. That was the trigger to book her in. I hope that helps anyone else who is wondering when it is their or their elderly relatives turn.

Once this group is done they will move much more quickly supply notwithstanding.

BTW - when I spoke to the 119 helpline they didnt have this information and referred me back to the GP as well. They also told me they are getting a load of abuse from the older people who dont necessarily understand what they need to do. One person said they could see a community hall from their living room window and asked why that couldnt be a hub.

My DF a few years ago got in such a mess with trying to understand how he could order a regular prescription that he ended up writing to his MP and very rude he was too (which I told him off about!). It was the process he didnt understand and he was frustrated with himself but took it out on others.

All I can suggest there is that it IS complex. Different surgeries having different processes so what I do is not the same as say another surgery in the next town.

My DH was delivering prescriptions during the last lockdown and some of the elderly were shocking. Treating him like some sort of delivery boy. Others didnt have a sign up for their house (we live quite rurally) and he has literally spent hours looking for houses. When he finally found one the women was curt and said that at least the postman knew where it was and that my DH should have had more training!!

I should really be posting this in the Elderly Parents section shouldnt I!

The government has stated on their website if the elderly can't get to a hub they will be offered a vaccine at their local surgery by the end of January I think. In our villagewe have volunteers driving the elderly.

I've just done the same for my elderly Dad. His appointment is tomorrow at the local centre for the Pfeizer jab.