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Covid

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Original poster

How busy are the mass vaccine centres and hubs?

57 replies

WombatChocolate · 20/02/2021 11:57

Just wondering about this, as lots of people are reporting that when they book, vast amounts of appointments are available.

If you’re able to say which county you’re in and if a mass centre or local vaccine hub, it would be very helpful.

I understand they are limited by supply of vaccine, but what about capacity at the centres too....busy or seemingly quiet? Thanks.

OP posts:

Rosehip10 · 20/02/2021 12:11

Your post sounds like what a lazy journalist would post for a sensationalist tabloid article

79Fleur · 20/02/2021 12:25

I had mine yesterday, I live semi rural in North Yorkshire I was invited to a medical centre in the market town a few miles away.
It was busy inside with a steady flow of people it was well spaced and I felt safe - i thought it was well organised with a one way system all doors were open, there was a nice atmosphere with very positive vibes and all the staff were lovely.
I got the Pfizer vaccine and had to wait after - however my partner had his at the same centre a fortnight before and received Oxford and was not asked to wait.

When I booked I had a choice of 2 days and about 3 different time slots each day.
The whole thing was super easy from booking to vaccination and felt very well organised.
I fall into group 6 and the day my GP started on this group was the day I got my text to book.
I don’t have any side effects so far either other than a sore arm much like a flu vaccine.

rslsys · 20/02/2021 12:26

After a week, finally managed to book a jab at a centre 15 miles away.
Initial offerings were 40, 60, 65, and 138 miles away!
Attended local hospital last week which has its own vaccination centre, nurses were saying half the staff had been sent home at lunchtime as they were so quiet. Go figure!

Scarby9 · 20/02/2021 12:28

75 minutes wait earlier this week apparently at our nearest big hub which is an hour away.
BUT you are in your own car
I don't know if the people telling us this arrived early
It was very efficent too.

QuestionableDanceMoves · 20/02/2021 12:34

I’m in Nottinghamshire.
I had mine done at a local hub, it was busy but well managed- 6 desks doing the pre vaccine checks and then 4 desks administering the vaccine.
Constant flow of people coming in, took about 15 minutes from first arriving to receiving the vaccine.

Original poster

WombatChocolate · 20/02/2021 13:07

Rosehip, well if you name search me, you’ll find I’ve been on MN for many years and on the Covid boards a lot this last week.....I think you’ll be quickly reassured if you look!

My Q arises from the fact I’m in Group 6 and across the threads this week, confusion reigns about how to book for this group. Some can get into the NHS site, some can get into other online booking systems that local areas use, some can’t access anything. I just wondered if those areas giving freer access to this big group, have busier centres and whether the others are very quiet as a result.....ie if the booking system itself is causing a bottle neck in some places. Realise different areas are going at different rates etc, but there do seem to be very very different experiences.

OP posts:

Mindymomo · 21/02/2021 09:17

My 63 year old husband is group 6. I tried booking in the nhs vaccination website, but it came up not eligible. He then got a text last Friday and had the choice of 4 hubs, 3 within 10 minutes drive, one about an hour away. He booked a hub where his appointment was Tuesday at 7.30 pm and was virtually the last person. There were 6 people booking in and 4 doing the jabs, lots of seating, but no waiting before just 15 minutes wait after.

ragged · 21/02/2021 09:28

Long queues at one local centre, so seemed busy.

Hophop26 · 21/02/2021 09:34

We used the National NHS booking website to book at a National hub for group 4. Calling 119 was amazing alternative for that to access the same appointments. As far as I am aware it is not possible to use that main NHS website or 119 for group 6 but group 5 is being encouraged to do so. I then booked via a different online system for group 6 following a text with link from my GP, that was at the GP vaccination hub rather than the National hub that is also local. On both systems when we have booked there have been lots of appointments available over a couple of days, but we have been very proactive and booked as soon as those days were available, within a day or so the availability had been booked up. Having attended both the National and local hubs between us they have been full both times. I think lots of appointments are uploaded as available in chunks so there may be some element of depending on when you go on to book there’s lots showing as available but by the day less so

doireallyneedaname · 21/02/2021 09:34

For those saying you’ve booked miles away, I’m assuming this was online? 119 told me that they have sometimes have access to closer vaccination locations than the website shows, so it’s worth giving them a call.

The mass vaccination site I am booked at wasn’t showing as an option on the online booking and still isn’t.

doireallyneedaname · 21/02/2021 09:34

(And it’s a 5 min drive away)

squashyhat · 21/02/2021 09:40

Notified by text on Thursday, booked a convenient slot for yesterday in a local hub. Busy but not frantic and very calm and well organised. A lovely orthopaedic surgeon jabbed me and I thanked him for doing it as well as his day job. I had the AZ vaccine and sat for 5 mins afterwards in a well-spaced recovery room, then home.

Original poster

WombatChocolate · 21/02/2021 09:41

Well, good news today, in that they hope to complete the priority groups by mid April and all adults by the end of July.
I guess they will have to keep running to capacity to meet those targets.

I’m still waiting to hear about being able to book (group 6) but perhaps next week.

OP posts:

Angel2702 · 21/02/2021 09:41

Was in and out 5 in front of me last night at local hub. As it moves very quickly and pre-booked appointments it’s hard to say if they are at capacity. There were no spare appointments for yesterday. Seems very well run to avoid people queuing and being on site longer than needed.

sleepwouldbenice · 21/02/2021 09:42

Volunteer at a local hub in Merseyside. It operates 8 to 8 daily. Patients are booked in by their gps. It’s full

trevthecat · 21/02/2021 09:46

I had mine yesterday morning. Early. In busy town. Was in and out in less than 10 mins. Was really quiet

fizzyp0p · 21/02/2021 09:48

Im waiting to hear group 6. my GP seems to be vaccinating everyone but me haha

ShanghaiDiva · 21/02/2021 09:50

I volunteer at a mass vaccination hub. We ask people to wait in cars until 10 mins before their appointment to avoid huge queues so perhaps it does not appear to be ‘busy’. We have a steady flow throughout the day.

viques · 21/02/2021 09:54

I had mine a couple of weeks ago. Huge new centre in a shopping mall, only opened the week before I went. Must have been at least ten , possibly more, vaccination desks, plus greeters, checkers in, supervisors etc etc.

And only one patient. Me.

I was in and out in less than ten minutes.

lunalucie · 21/02/2021 09:55

Ours are closed for 2 weeks due to supply issues. Apparently it was foreseen and planned whatever that means.

awishes · 21/02/2021 09:57

SW London vaccinator, all shifts cancelled until mid March as targets met.

ConcernedAuntie · 21/02/2021 09:58

I'm in Somerset. Had a notification come up on on Facebook from my GP surgery that bookings were now open to over 65s. Letter from NHS arrived the next day.

Went online and was offered appointments two days ahead at a vaccination point run by a pharmacy in my local Morrisons car park. It was no problem, but I was surprised that no mention was made of two other sites which are operating in the town, where I know neighbours who are at the same GP surgery have gone for theirs. The next nearest site was at a large hub about 40 minutes drive away.

Anyway, all worked very well. Plenty of parking. We arrived about 5 minutes early and I went straight in and was back in the car 3 minutes after my appointment time. As husband was driving we didn't have to wait but if I had been on my own I would have had to wait 15 minutes.

There were 6 booths in the tent, 3 were being used when I was in there. When I came out about 6 people were making their way in, so they seemed to have a reasonably regular flow.

Kendodd · 21/02/2021 10:07

I've been volunteering at one. Day one when it opened it was quiet, deliberately so, while they found their feet, getting busier each day of the first week. Then it was manic but very efficent. Wait time was minimal as long as people arrived at their appointment time, if they were early, depending on how early, they either be sent away or put in a holding car park before driving down to main hub. It's gone quiet again now but expected to ramp up again when next age group opens up.

Kendodd · 21/02/2021 10:09

Oh, our peak, was 1,000 people a day vaccinated.

QueenPaw · 21/02/2021 12:20

Vaccine centre Lancashire
Quiet. I went on a Saturday, about 8 booths and 3 in use. One person in the queue behind me

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