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!

It's common knowledge that this happens and is totally acceptable. The other option is to bin the dose

Better than it being wasted. I've been working at a vaccine centre and was given the vaccine at the end of a session. I've kept quiet about it as I feel a bit guilty that I got it so early (3 weeks ago), but I wasn't going to refuse it when it was offered.

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

But could you get to the surgery at short notice to take an unused vaccine shot that would otherwise be thrown away? Otherwise this is a pointless comparison.

thats my point! I understand that Gps under huge pressure, but how long would it take to compile a list of people to call at the end of a session rather than giving their mate a call?

Tell you what, contact this GP and all your local GP surgeries and offer to help them to compile a list of patients who would be available at short notice. I'd rather that GPs and their staff concentrated on dealing with direct patient care, given current backlogs.

I actually think prisons should be prioritised - both the workers and the inmates. I don't care what they've done, it's much cheaper to vaccinate them than have them using hospital resources if they catch it.

They should have a list of people who are eligible, live near the surgery and are mobile.

@LoafEater

I tell you what's also scandalous,is I glanced at one of the uk newspapers today, which said that British serial killer Bedfield who murdered school girl Milly Downy, has already had this vaccine given to him.

Why on earth is uk Gov/medical board givening priority to people like this,to queue jump ahead of key workers/vulnerable people in community?😕

For all those 'we need a better system in place' agreed, but we also need one that minimises admin. Staff might be having to make ten phone calls to find one person who can come at short notice. I wonder if a better system would be to just have an end of day queue. Key workers (with work id) told they can just form a queue at the end of each day at vaccination sites and if any vaccine left over, first come, first served will get it. With a big warning that most will go home disappointed. Maybe even key workers over a certain age.

I volunteer at a vaccine hub, they do have the symptoms in place to recort vaccination of randoms.

My parents’ GP surgery has a list of patients in high priority groups, who can get to the surgery at short notice. That’s the right way to do it IMO. Not ringing all your mates!

I think Israel had end of day leftover queues.

All this talk of ringing round standby list is reslly funny if you've ever had to do this. I have (for something different) and its more time consuming than you think. You can make multiple calls before anyone even answers then you spend 5 minutes of someone umming and ahhing whether they can get in then a few minutes making sure they're booked in the system. Most places, I imagine, just don't have the staff or time to be doing this at the end of the day.
I agree better systems should be in place but its just not as simple as have a ring round.

You’re being ridiculous OP. You have no idea if you ex has health issues now as he’s been your ex for a long time, you now class him as an acquaintance. He may well be on a list of reserves, if there even is such a thing.

I can’t imagine GP’s randomly ring mates to use the spare jab ... they still have to act professionally and ethically.

I’d rather the vaccine goes to someone, anyone, than go to waste in the bin.

Get over yourself and be thankful there’s a vaccine at all.

If he knew the friend was available at short notice, then it's a reasonable thing to do. Ideally you'd give it to someone vulnerable, but vulnerable people for obvious reasons aren't usually available at short notice.

Worth remembering, I think, that when a person gets vaccinated, it doesn't just protect them, it protects others as well.

thing is the faster these vaccines are done for all the better - the vaccines left at the end of a day do have to be binned as they are unfrozen as required and sometimes the no shows mean there are spares and there is no system for getting people to the surgery in time so they are literally desperate for people to stab - there have been messages round saying Drivers should make sure they have their info as there may be spares. The more that are vaccinated the better - herd immunity rules - it doesn't matter what category they are in. Of course people are called by category but often people are ill, unable to get there, decide they don't want it, or even pass away int he time between call and appt. I think we have to be realistic here and say if there is an unvaccinated person and a vaccine potentially going to waste the best thing for the community is to give it

@SummerBlondey

Why should the surgery pay a nurse to go to the local police station? The police can go to the surgery like everybody else who isn't housebound

Because one person travelling (nurse), makes more sense than taking say, 5 Police off the streets, and sending them to the surgery on the off chance that there might be spare vaccines going that day. The nurse would always find a few cops in the station. If a 999 call came in, only the cop being vaccinated would be unavailable to jump in a car and go.

GP surgeries aren't being paid to do that though. Why should practices pay for it out of their own pockets? Where I live, police are driving around all the time at the moment. I'm sure some could stop at a surgery if they were around. It wouldn't stop them responding to a 999 call. They are not tied down for hours while being vaccinated.

I am so fed up with this carping and whining.

The doses have to be used up.

There is often a surplus at the end of the day because of no-shows and because there is often more in the phial than is needed to fill the syringe to the correct dose.

There is presumably not capacity or time to be calling round loads of people, and not safe to have people queueing in a 'returns' queue when we are all supposed to stay at home.

All that happens is that when his age group comes up, the waiting list will be shorter because he is already done.

Every person done is a risk less.

FFS.

Re prisoners, it is rife in the prisons very close quarters and prisoners fight spit and threaten PRISON OFFICERS they are vaccinating in Jails as the risk is seriously high and it protects the STAFF who are doing the most difficult job imaginable with violent and mentally ill prisoners who have no boundaries. I would also add that maybe some of the prisoners ARE in the extremely vulnerable category - maybe through their own choices but still. There is still a duty of care towards prisoners whatever you may think about the crime they committed

I think prisons should be prioritised too. I’m suprised anyone thinks differently.
Prison outbreaks would be a disaster. Think of the costs involved in hospitalising dangerous criminals let alone regular ones. Also its important for the sake of the prison staff. Do you think all the prisoners will be respectful of social distancing and hand washing etc.
Also, there are a high proportion of unwell people in prison.

@LoafEater

I am glad you had this left over vaccine.

I see you in the same way as a key worker/vulnerable person at risk, cause of your nature of your Job.

Plus if any body who who's a nurse and does Jabs, giving this vaccines to people became ill, with Covid19,we would be right in the shit in our society in uk?

So yes it 100 per cent Totally makes sense that you were a priority to have this vaccine.!

cross post 😅

@oo0Tinkerbell0oo

To get a call back for the 2nd dose you have to be on the system as having had the first dose. I imagine these people getting the left over jabs are doing so by being added to the system in place of (insert name).

There is absolutely no way that would happen!! Bloody hell, falsified patient records.

@PilatesPeach Glad to hear it's happening some places to some extent. Assuming press reports are true there needs to be more work on this country wide to avoid 'mates rates' on vaccination.

I'm delighted to hear the vaccines aren't being wasted! Quite right!

So you have one set of people, the planned recipients, who are scheduled because of priority need: age, vulnerability, etc.

Then you have a fall-back list of people who can get there quickly – which will tend to be people who are independent and mobile or on the spot at work already. Almost the antithesis of the first group.

I have no problem with this at all! Absolutely the right thing to do.

The suggestion about the phone teacher phone trees is also good.

Perhaps MNers who are or know management at schools could suggest they call their local surgeries and offer to organise this. (I know you have plenty on your plates, but this sounds like a priority activity.)

So far as I'm concerned, if this means a few less people are liable to get seriously ill and take up NHS beds, I'm fine with it. I couldn't get to our surgery at short notice so it doesn't mean anyone is skipping a queue over me; on the contrary, it reduces the queue in front of me.

@Umbridge34

All this talk of ringing round standby list is reslly funny if you've ever had to do this. I have (for something different) and its more time consuming than you think. You can make multiple calls before anyone even answers then you spend 5 minutes of someone umming and ahhing whether they can get in then a few minutes making sure they're booked in the system. Most places, I imagine, just don't have the staff or time to be doing this at the end of the day. I agree better systems should be in place but its just not as simple as have a ring round.

Yes we used to do this in our normal clinics and you could phone a whole list and get no one on some days, and these were people who really needed treatment.

It may be easier now people are inside more, but you don’t always know who has their own transport etc.

We used to get a lot of um’s too and can I call you back in ten mins etc, which didn’t work as you needed a yes or no straight away!

@RB68

Re prisoners, it is rife in the prisons very close quarters and prisoners fight spit and threaten PRISON OFFICERS they are vaccinating in Jails as the risk is seriously high and it protects the STAFF who are doing the most difficult job imaginable with violent and mentally ill prisoners who have no boundaries. I would also add that maybe some of the prisoners ARE in the extremely vulnerable category - maybe through their own choices but still. There is still a duty of care towards prisoners whatever you may think about the crime they committed

I work with mentally ill offenders in a secure hospital. I've had known positive patients coughing directly in my face on multiple occasions. Thankfully most of my patients were vaccinated last week because even with ppe staff have been dropping like flies.