DF has not received an invitation for his vaccine

[Dressingdown1]

DF is 83 and has no idea when he will get the vaccine. It is being rolled out locally and his over 80 year old friends have all had theirs or at least had invitations. His surgery say they can't help, as the letters are being despatched centrally. He is understandably anxious and I don't know what I can do to help. Does anyone have any insight into the way the system works?

Did you speak to the surgery on the phone? I wonder if they are swamped with vaccine enquiries and have a blanket response of “can’t help just wait” to everyone. Can you email or message the surgery? Put it in writing? I have much better results from my (useless) surgery when it’s in writing and proveable.

Not that I’m a cynic you understand ....

Is his surgery actually doing vaccines? I've heard about a third are not. That should be fairly clear. If not where did his friends get vaccinated?

Contact the ccg for his surgery. They should have arrangements with a vaccination centre. Or there may be a central number to call to book , if any of his friends could share it from their letter.

My mum is the same. No mobile so waiting for a letter. Younger friends been done. Surgery says "info is on Twitter". FFS she's in her 80s she doesn't do twitter.
It is very likely all in hand but not great communication for that age group at the very least.

The government set the target for February 15th for the first tranche

As far as I am aware they are ahead of schedule in many areas but some areas will not be due to the specific logistics.

He hasn't been forgotten, he's just somewhere further down the list.

It's a post code lottery.

I actually spoke to his doctor as I had a consultation myself about something else. The surgery are not doing vaccines yet, vaccines are being rolled out in a mass vaccination centre in our local town

Which area of the country are you in?

In my area they were working alphabetically so my parents with a W surname were called later than others, but did get their vaccine yesterday.

There’s a long way to go yet. Only 71% of over-80s have had the first dose of vaccine yet. My elderly parents have heard nothing yet either. A third of surgeries aren’t doing vaccines at all.

I’d ring the surgery. My grandmother did and it turned out she’d not been put on the list because she takes blood thinning medication. Initially it was thought that those taking such medication couldn’t have the vaccine, however, this approach was changed but she wasn’t put back on the list. If she hadn’t called, she wouldn’t have been contacted.

Thanks to all those who have replied. His surname starts with a W, so that could be the reason. We're in the South West

I enquired for my parents as I was worried as they are immobile at home . Firstly they did not have the Oxford vaccination so had not been called as they knew they could not get to a centre .

Then I saw they were texting or emailing people . My parents don’t have either . So I reached out again and please ensure you phone them . All of a sudden they got a call and were vaccinated at home yesterday.

@Dressingdown1 if it's not being done at the surgery they won't be able to help. But he'll get called eventually. Can he get to the vaccine centre ok?

I'm on the North East. I've been hearing in the media there's a gap in rates in across the country. Up here were having the vaccine supply cut while other areas mainly in the south catch up. Not sure why it's happening like this. But hopefully it will mean your dad gets his soon.

My parents were sent texts on their mobiles but they, alongside many others 70+ I imagine, don't regularly check their phones so they've missed slots that were made available.

www.nhs.uk/book-a-coronavirus-vaccination/do-you-have-an-nhs-number

Try this link, I was able to book an elderly relative through this as their GP surgery had not been able to help.

I tried that link a few days ago for my elderly parents - late 80s. It said both of them were not eligible to be vaccinated. And when I tried a second time an hour later it said they had missed their appointment! They still haven’t heard anything.

@Dressingdown1
My parents are S.W and also
W, same age and still waiting for appointments too.

@Dressingdown1

Thanks to all those who have replied. His surname starts with a W, so that could be the reason. We're in the South West

Ah! A friend who is in our local surgery organising vaccines posted that she has got the weekend off as their expected delivery has been re-routed to somewhere that is further behind their jab schedule and has higher occurences of covid. We too are in the South West.

I have looked at NHS book your coronavirus vaccination website and put in NHS number which is found on repeat prescription or hospital letters, you enter this and date of birth and you may be able to book this way.

I have been able to book a vaccine for DF on Tuesday, using the NHS book your vaccine site! Thanks to those who pointed me in that direction.

That must be frustrating, my town is starting on under 75's this week