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Original poster

When will Surrey (Frimley) start on Group 6? How are Surrey doing?

137 replies

midlifecatastrophe · 05/02/2021 14:55

I am in Group 6 (for multiple reasons unfortunately and not at all well at the moment). I would love to know if anyone could give me light at the end of the tunnel as to when they might start the Group 6 rollout here. My mother is not at all well (mental health issues amongst other things) but I can't visit her until a few weeks after I am vaccinated as her anxiety is so high she won't let anyone in or join a bubble (I have tried to access some help for her but she is refusing it which is frustrating.). A nightmare all around but hopefully will get better once we come out of lockdown.

OP posts:
ShaunaTheSheep · 26/02/2021 08:44

Meant to add, DH had his group 7 jab this week, booked via the NHS website, and was offered a completely different set of locations, all pharmacies and mass Vax centre. Whereas my group 6 jab last week was at a choice of 3 GP led sites.

StCharlotte · 26/02/2021 08:46

It would be good if GP surgeries stated on their website what group they were inviting. That way if they stated they were inviting Group 7 and you knew you should be Group 6, you'd know to contact them to clarify.

I agree. We have three practices in our town. The practice websites just direct you to generic NHS information but one of them (not mine) has been brilliant on the local facebook page, giving out info and saying which cohort is being vaccinated at the moment etc etc.

SnowdropsCrocuses · 26/02/2021 08:48

It worries me that someone on mumsnet said that anyone can go on the NHS link and book by saying they are a carer and there are no checks. They said people on Facebook were encouraging each other to say they were a carer to a neighbour when they weren't. Surely that can't be true as otherwise it'll take ages to get past Group 6?

StCharlotte · 26/02/2021 08:49

@WombatChocolate

Just reporting in to say I got an invitation by text this morning. It gave me a link to a local booking service which offered me just one location, which is the local hub which is inna community centre. Applying intents were available from Weds and I booked for Thurs morning.

This is East Surrey.

I'm Group 6 without the shielding letter.

Does the community centre begin with W?
LemonTT · 26/02/2021 08:53

There are three models of delivery for vaccines. Hospital hubs who are tasked with doing staff. GP hubs who are tasked with doing vulnerable (cohorts 1-4 and 6). Vaccine centres who do the rest. This is not a hard definition and there is movement across pillars depending on local circumstances.

GP hubs have the largest capacity and supply at the moment, about 4-5x vaccine centres. They can work through the bulk of New CEVs and 6 in the timetable given. Which is by mid March. Expect offers of vaccine to be complete by then if not sooner. Btw, there is generally lower uptake in this group compared to over 65’s.

Identifying patients is a problem because the definition keeps changing. That’s why it’s not easy to open up the national booking system to 6’s. If it was easy it would be done.

Cohort 5 was started towards the end of Cohort 4 in many areas to use up slots and vaccines. Basically 5’s who want a vaccine will have booked already.

It’s a Sod’s law decision as to whether it’s justified in opening up lower age groups in vac centres. It won’t really happen officially until mid March.

LIZS · 26/02/2021 09:23

@SnowdropsCrocuses

A friend's son in group 6 had the vax today. (Tandridge borough)
It seems very random as to where the lists are up to. A neighbouring surgery is doing 50s(grp 9) but we are still waiting on group 6.
Rollergirl11 · 26/02/2021 09:28

Identifying patients is a problem because the definition keeps changing. That’s why it’s not easy to open up the national booking system to 6’s. If it was easy it would be done.

How is it any different to what was done to identify Group 4 who were able to book via the national NHS website? Once the records have been flagged why can’t they be pushed to the national booking system rather than the GP led hubs?

SnowdropsCrocuses · 26/02/2021 09:41

LIZS Is the neighbouring surgery in Tandridge or Surrey?

WombatChocolate · 26/02/2021 09:48

Tandridge is Surrey. East Surrey is made up of Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge.

WombatChocolate · 26/02/2021 09:58

I think it's not always easy to know which groups are being done either, as people often aren't actually aware they are group 6. So someone in 50s might be done at a GP led hub and say they are doing group 9, but actually they have been done as part of Group 6. Lots of people report being called of all ages and having no sense that they are clinically vulnerable or meet any of those criteria and because in their invitations, Group 6 are never told that's the reasons for the call, often they remain unaware of being in that group. They are surprised as to why they have been called. And when people report that in their areas younger age groups are being called, unless they are on the inside of the system and know for sure the priority groups being called at that specific point, again, people assume these younger people have been called on the basis of age, forgetting that very often we don't know all the medical conditions of friends and which cohort they were called as part of.

I went yesterday in East Surrey to a GP led hub. It felt very efficient and as if it was running close to capacity. There were loads of carpark volunteers, Pfizer was being given yesterday and as people came in, they went straight to one of 4/5 jabbers behind screens or had to wait a minute or two on a anti-bacced seat until one was free and then there were other seats where people sat for 15 mins before leaving, which is required withbPfizer. I'd say about 15-20 people were sitting and waiting to leave. There were probably new people coming in every 3-4 mins and they said they were a bit ahead so their arriving early went straight to the vaccinators. They could have been getting through more, but there was a steady trickle at that point. Was a range of ages and clearly some people had visible health issues....so looked very much like it was probably all group 6.

Hope everyone hears soon.

WombatChocolate · 26/02/2021 10:05

Oh and re Group 7 being done at mass centres and pharmacies...well, when they book on the NHS central booking site, it always says that if people prefer to wait for their local GP service for somewhere closer to home, they can.

I think the booking system flags those who've been invited who haven't booked on the national system and then GP hub organisers follow them and up and offer the GP hubs. This made sense for the elderly who can't travel so easily, but now we are talking under 60s, I think the age group cohorts should go to the mass hubs and pharmacies, leaving the GP services for Group 6. As someone said, those in Group delayed by every person in groups 5,7,8,9 who refuses the mass centre because they want to go local.

It's surprising but a lot of people of all age groups really dont like to drive or travel to an unknown place, even if it's just 30 mins away. I suppose they've decided they won't push people to do this.

SnowdropsCrocuses · 26/02/2021 10:14

@WombatChocolate

Tandridge is Surrey. East Surrey is made up of Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge.
Sorry I know, I live in Tandridge borough. I meant is the neighbouring surgery in Tandridge or elsewhere in Surrey?
LIZS · 26/02/2021 10:45

@SnowdropsCrocuses

LIZS Is the neighbouring surgery in Tandridge or Surrey?
Come to think of it R and B but only just. Someone mentioned Oxted further down, also apparently ahead.
LIZS · 26/02/2021 10:46

Technically the definition of East Surrey also includes Mole Valley and Epsom and Ewell.

WombatChocolate · 26/02/2021 10:59

LIZS, I never knew that.
Aren’t Epsom and Ewell part of a London Borough?

It’s probably one of those weird things where there are various groupings.....some used for defining councils and boroughs, some for phone numbers , some for postcodes, some for medical districts or church parishes etc....loads of overlap between them and not a consistent system used.

For medical purposes, I think much of Surrey is part of the Surrey Heartlands CCG (another different geographical area to all those mentioned above) and within East Surrey (which I’m not sure includes Mole Valley or Epsom and Ewell for these purposes) there are various PCNs...primary care networks. It is the primary care network who are working on behalf of the surgeries within it to organise the local hubs. So I think they are GP led hubs in Redhill, Reigate, Horley, Caterham, Oxted and perhaps one other I’m forgetting. I think you get called according to which PCN your GP surgery is part of. So, in Reigate and Banstead it could be Horley, Reigate or Redhill and in Tandridge it could be Caterham or Oxted.

I love how our various organisational structures have different geographical boundaries due to a piecemeal evolving over time. It is so confusing for those of us who have lived in the area all our lives, never mind those coming to the area or from abroad.

Titsywoo · 26/02/2021 11:46

I'm in Tandridge and will have my first jab next week (I work in social care). I got offered mine outside of my borough (the first one is at a church hall in Croydon and the second in Bromley) - presumably so they can keep the local ones for older/vulnerable people who find it harder to travel.

Rockbird · 26/02/2021 11:50

Epsom and Ewell is Surrey Heartlands.

LIZS · 26/02/2021 12:31

Our pcn is currently using Westway Caterham and Epsom for vaccinations, not heard of anyone being sent further afield. The neighbouring one is using ex Canon site in Reigate, maybe capacity is greater and that is why they are moving quicker.

Epsom is in Surrey , not a London borough.

WombatChocolate · 26/02/2021 20:27

I’ve noticed there are some more updates on the local surgery websites. Some seem to have more updates than others and one actually says both group 5 and 6 have been completed.

Even if your surgery doesn’t give very good updates, others are and bearing in mind several feed to the same vaccination hubs, it might give you a good indication of where the lists are. I won’t name the surgery sites I looked at, but if you Google the surgeries in your areas you’ll find lists of them and links to their websites, which will give you an idea of how things are going.

Hope this helps those waiting anxiously...or perhaps you’ve even heard today.

LIZS · 26/02/2021 20:31

Ours has an update to say they are now contacting 60+ and cv. Nothing received here yet though.

Calibrachoa · 26/02/2021 20:49

Our practice doesn't say where they are up to but I just looked at one in Caterham (Townhill) that isn't far from me that updated today to say "We are delighted to inform our patients that we have now invited all of those in Group 6 for their first vaccination. If you are in Groups 1-6 and have not received your invitation to book your appointment please let us know.

Calibrachoa · 26/02/2021 23:22

Think I'll keep an eye on that one to give some indication of where we are up to as hopefully my practice isn't too far behind. I'm Group 9

LIZS · 27/02/2021 11:00

Dh just got his text for appointment tomorrow - Grp 6

WombatChocolate · 27/02/2021 11:03

That’s good news LIZS. Are you waiting for one for yourself too?

Did he get offered a range of locations or just the one?

Good news!

LIZS · 27/02/2021 11:06

Just the one location but choice of several times, via gp surgery. I'm grp 9 (although part of the asthma debate) so may have to wait longer.