GP giving vaccine to his mate

[LoafEater]

So an acquaintance of mine has told a mutual friend that his friend, who is a GP in out local area, called him up at the end of a vaccine session and invited him down to the surgery to get a 'leftover' vaccine. He went and had it, and is telling people how delighted he is about it.

This acquaintance does not really work (independently wealthy/lazy), is in his mid-50s and has no health issues. I am livid. My brother lives in a care home has not had the vaccine yet, and I know lots of other people, myself included, who are working front line jobs or have health conditions that won't be getting it for a long time yet. I see from the press today that this seems to be happening all over. I suspect, knowing this man, that this was pre-planned rather than a last minute thing.

Don't know why I'm posting this really as there is nothing that can be done about it now, but I found out about this last week and I am still so cross!

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'I'm just asking why you're not volunteering at your local one given that you feel so strongly about '

Should we have to volunteer at every organisation that we criticise?! Who knew. So, say for example, you think Johnson isn't doing very well should you then volunteer for the Conservative party to show them how to do it?

I've great respect for the NHS as a whole and the vaccine rolling out has been a logistical challenge, but again they've had months to prepare. Some of our local practices have completed their over 80s some doing very poorly. It can't all be down to 'supply' when others nearby have enough. It is piss poor organisation by individual practices, a standby list should have been a priority.

It’s interesting that your anger is not towards those who can’t be bothered to turn up. Surely you realise that some GP practices have vastly more over 80s than others? They can’t currently order quantities that suit them they get what they’re given at short notice. Do you even know how many people have been given the vaccine out of sequence? The priority groups are pretty arbitrary, in other countries they are completely different. It’s actually not really an issue if 500 doses in the day go to the priority groups and 5 go to others. We’re aiming to vaccinate everyone in a very short space of time anyway.

It was announced that 80% of over 80s had been done the other day. Considering that those within 28 days of a positive covid test can’t be done it doesn’t really indicate a huge problem

Further to my last. I have been fairly critical in the past about the NHS and their terminal bureaucracy. But Covid has been a revelation in the organisation to break through all the reasons why things can't be done.

The vaccination programme is amazing. The volunteers are incredibly well organised especially once the queue enters the building. I walked my neighbour in and we went through the booking in tables along to 10 vaccination rooms in a corridor and people were in and out in a minute. Actually when you look at the volume being given, the amount left over is minimal really. Overbooking vaccines isn't an option when many people have travelled miles and needed logistics to get there...Ie I took a couple of hours off work to take my neighbour.

My real real fear is that if what has been reported from anonymous politically correct briefings from NHS England that they will stop this..., is that remaining doses WILL get binned and wasted. That is criminal when the aim is to vaccinate everyone.

For once the mandarins need to keep out and let the local staff carry on doing a wonderful job....and stay the envy of Europe.

It can't all be down to 'supply' when others nearby have enough.

Rubbish. Our hub learned at the end of last week that it was not being sent vaccines for Mon - Wed. The staff and volunteers were all lined up to run it but had to be stood down. The surgery has no control over it.

Our surgery consists of 4 GPs. As well as doing their day job they are also having to organise the logistics of this. They didn't know when the vaccine would arrive until a week before. Of course they had preplanned but they still only had a week to mobilise. I think they are doing an amazing job.

I think the vaccine rollout has been amazing - I have lots to criticise about the Tories but the rollout, overall, has been great. I don't want any vaccine wasted, but I do want a fair method of using up 'end of day' spare.

Unless you're sick, or your transport is cancelled, there's no excuse not to show up.

'Our surgery consists of 4 GPs. As well as doing their day job they are also having to organise the logistics of this. They didn't know when the vaccine would arrive until a week before'

I doubt the gps are doing the ring rounds.

Again, they’ve had months to prepare. The admin staff should have a whole list of contingency plans. When some gp practices are doing well and some poorly, in the same area I think we can safely say it is down to individual planning and time management skills, plus giving out vaccines to anyone on their contact lists instead of ringing patients at short notice if there's any spare. Anyway. Lets hope those who haven’t vaccinated most of their over 80s have learnt lessons from other places who have.

@Wheresthebeach

I think the vaccine rollout has been amazing - I have lots to criticise about the Tories but the rollout, overall, has been great. I don't want any vaccine wasted, but I do want a fair method of using up 'end of day' spare.

Unless you're sick, or your transport is cancelled, there's no excuse not to show up.

Vaccine rollout has been left to local NHS teams with their local armed forces for logistics, local community centres and the wonderful local people who are volunteering to help. I honestly hope that people take notice of the successes and failures in this pandemic and see that healthcare should not be about profit!

Again, they’ve had months to prepare. The admin staff should have a whole list of contingency plans. For what, precisely?

They had no idea of the timing; the specific vaccine requirements; the priority listings; etc etc

They have a generic plan, it's much broadly similar to their flu plan.

Those admin staff have been overwhelmed with covid requirements, flu vaccines etc. And have been working long hours, 7 days a week to get this done!

Maybe heed your username!

I'm dreading going back to work tomorrow. I've been on holidays and the first covid clinic was done during my time off. I've now got to work Saturdays. We have one Practice Nurse in the small surgery I work in and she has to do her normal day to day treatment room as well as covid vaccines.

I can see the receptionists admin work piling up because we don't have enough staff to be able to catch up and that is without telephoning hundreds of patients to book them in for a vaccine.

'The admin staff should have a whole list of contingency plans'. 'For what, precisely?'

Erm, plan for no shows? If you read the thread you'd see of course vaccines shouldn't be chucked out but the only people receiving them should be the priority groups. So, as I've said a few times now I do apologise, when it's halfway through a clinic and its clear there's going to be spare instead of telling staff to ring their family and friends you ring the next eligible people. Or text them! It's a technical age we aren't dependent on carrier pigeons.

I get the impression that there is a contingency plan and for most of the day it's grab similarly aged spouses (other side of arbitrary boundary but due soon) or carers but if you get loads in the last part of the session, grab any vaguely suitable arms by whatever means possible...

Probably also depends on if it's at a surgery (therefore full computer systems/staffing) or a dedicated site where they probably would need to rely on convenient contacts in clinicians'/volunteers' phones depending on the set up...

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'The admin staff should have a whole list of contingency plans'. 'For what, precisely?'

Erm, plan for no shows? If you read the thread you'd see of course vaccines shouldn't be chucked out but the only people receiving them should be the priority groups. So, as I've said a few times now I do apologise, when it's halfway through a clinic and its clear there's going to be spare instead of telling staff to ring their family and friends you ring the next eligible people. Or text them! It's a technical age we aren't dependent on carrier pigeons.

@BungleandGeorge It’s actually not really an issue if 500 doses in the day go to the priority groups and 5 go to others. It might matter if you are over 80 and waiting for your turn, if 5 go to others every day in every venue I wonder how many that would add up to?

They are doing this in hospitals. If there is vaccine left over, they ask staff to invite family and friends. Nothing to be livid about!

@GetOffYourHighHorse

I'd imagine a lot of older people (over 80s) are like my in-laws and only check their phones once a day or twice if there's a "t" in the day's name and there are loads of people who don't answer withheld numbers...

GPs and their staff have a lot of experience with this age group, and probably go for quick wins.

@Atomsaway

They are doing this in hospitals. If there is vaccine left over, they ask staff to invite family and friends. Nothing to be livid about!

Yes these hospitals did it www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/fury-birmingham-hospital-bosses-given-19504956

Hard to imagine in a huge hospital like the QE that they couldn't find enough frontline staff to give it to, doctors, nurses, HCAs, porters, paramedics or even patients. I suppose it was easier just to empty a corridor of offices.

Why didn't the GP call the next person on the list? No need to phone a friend.

Loads and loads of people aren't turning up for their vaccination appointments. My friend works at kings college hospital vaccination centre and she told me so. And I went to Slough for my vaccination last week. I was only called because people hadn't turned up and the nurse told me that every day many people don't turn up.

How do you know he didn’t call the next person on the list, or the person after that. Or that the person was twenty miles away and with no access to public transport?

Happened to me and DH at the weekend. His GP friend offered us them as they were going to be binned. I felt guilty at first but the nurse thanked me for coming at short notice. Sorry OP me and DH are fit and healthy (although not lazy)

The problem in NHS hospitals (as mentioned in the thread) is that while there are enough vaccines for front lines workers there are a) a number who can’t have it due to recent Covid cases b) a number who are refusing it c) lots who are really hard to contact. If a trust has 200 vaccines going out of date on a Sunday afternoon then they will just see what staff they can get hold of at short notice. GP surgeries are a bit different as they are actually allowed to vaccinate the public

Why didn't the GP call the next person on the list? No need to phone a friend

Because that potentially means busy GPs or their staff spending hours working through the patient list till they find someone who lives sufficiently close by AND who is able to drop everything to get to the surgery at the end of the day before it closed. I think at the moment they probably have better things to do with their time.

Seriously, the number of people on this thread who clearly have no idea of real-life logistics, yet they think they can tell those who do, what should be done. It's ridiculous.

Even my local FB page which is usually wall to wall moaning, is being really positive and complimentary about the vaccination centres and not wasting vaccines.

The UK is fourth in the world for the proportion of its population who've had their first vaccination. 4th!!! And by a country mile above the next countries. We're finally doing something well, and all some people can do is whinge about a tiny proportion of those vaccines going to people earlier than they should.

The time based vaccines have to be thrown if not used at the end of the day
So, why not offer it to as many people as possible? I’m sure they will have offered it to other people too. My friend has been given it because she was available at short notice to take up a vaccine someone didn’t show up for.
This seems like a tantrumming ‘if I can’t have it nobody can’ kind of situation.

If they are binning the spares they should be ashamed and haul a few ppl off the street to use them up! However, if you do get lucky you shouldn't shout about it!

FFS not this again
I read GPs are dragging them from the arms of vulnerable patients and distributing them to millionaires at dinner parties
Wtf do you want to happen. Should they throw them or just try to get hold of a non vulnerable person who can attend

I have been offered the injection through a friend who runs care homes. Her staff were being vaccinated, a few had refused to have the injection so she was advised to ask family and friends if they wanted them. They allocate the correct amount and if not all taken then it makes sense to offer it to others as they would have to discard it and waste it otherwise!
Not sure however on the 2nd injection?