Vaccination centres too far away.

[Thingsthatgo]

I’m really sorry, because I am sure that this has been asked a billion times on here before. I’m 44, and I got my invitation to book my jab through the national vaccination service by text. All of the places are miles away in different cities and I do not drive.
Everyone is saying to wait, and that my GP will contact me, and I’ll get a closer appointment, but when I mentioned it to my GP they said that they would not be contacting me.
Also, not sure it’s relevant, but the booking service seems to think that I’ve missed an appointment or something. It keeps saying that I shall have to rebook rather than just book.
Anyone have any wise words for me?

[Thingsthatgo]

@WombatChocolate if it is just 2 weeks, then I am totally fine with that, but I received my text on 26th April and have been looking 8-10 times a day. Starting at 6:15am when I get up and checking just before I go to bed. I have seen one appointment that would mean I could go and still have enough money to cover my bills this month, but there was no second appointment available, so I couldn’t book it anyway.
Two weeks would be fine though, if you think I’ll be offered a local jab in the next couple of days? I’d be happy with that.

[unchienandalusia]

Jesus. The scientific community has pulled off the most amazing vaccination development ever known and the government had the foresight to design a delivery programme that has millions vaccinated already and you. Any get from Brighton to Crawley?

[RoseMartha]

You dont have to go to one of the big vaccination centres. Your GP surgery should let you know usually by text of local ones when they are ready for you to book.

When I call my GP surgery there is an automated message telling me this. (Usually three to four covid messages before I get put in the queue to talk to reception).

[Frazzled2207]

If you can get a 1st which is doable book that and then you will be able to change the second. Things change quite a lot on a daily basis.

Our gp practice is not doing anyone under 50(but next gp along is) so your gp is likely like ours. So we have to go to one of the bigger centres, none are close. Fortunately we drive so is ok but I have thought that it is very difficult if you don’t drive.

[Frazzled2207]

@RoseMartha

You dont have to go to one of the big vaccination centres. Your GP surgery should let you know usually by text of local ones when they are ready for you to book.

When I call my GP surgery there is an automated message telling me this. (Usually three to four covid messages before I get put in the queue to talk to reception).

This is not true. Many gp hubs are not doing under 50s at all. We all have to go via the National booking system.

[WombatChocolate]

Things, there is no knowing exactly when you will be offered a local jab. It depends which age group you are in and how much supply your local area has for 1st jabs. Most of it is going to larger centres and not GP led services as GP led services are doing mostly 2nd jabs.

They will get to you, but it might be a while.

There are volunteers who will take you for no charge. It is either a case of find a way to get there and get the jab sooner, or wait a bit longer and have it locally. You will certainly be offered it locally at some point, but the time is variable depending on local supply.

You can phone your GP and also 119 to discuss your travel issues and issues with cost and ask if they can direct you to volunteers who will help with transport and if not, when they think a more local appointment might become available. You can ask if there will be a local drop in or vaccine bus coming to your area. When people have particular difficulties they will help you.

They will get to you locally, but so far it’s only been 2 weeks. Lots of people who got the text you did won’t have got round to trying to book yet. The system is unlikely to have picked you up as someone who hasn’t booked and needs following up yet and might not for another couple of weeks, because lots of people do take ages to book and the system needs to give time to people to book at the mass centres as that’s where most doses are. They can’t be following everyone up with local appointments within a week of offering the jab...there would just be too many people and not enough supply. As far as the system is aware, you could be about to book any minute and do whatever journey is necessary....because that’s what most people will do and the system needs the majority of the population to do. But you will be picked up. Sorry I can’t say when. Perhaps wait another week and keep trying (and looking into volunteers to take you) and then call again.

[WombatChocolate]

Lots of GPs aren’t doing under 50s clinics now. That’s true. However, they will be involved in the mop-up of those who don’t take up the offer to book using the national centre. However, it could be several weeks before they have the capacity to do that.

When over 50s were done, lots found if they waited, a lcoal appointment would come if they didn’t mind waiting another week or two. The wait is likely to be longer now. Fewer people in the under 50s groups struggle to travel and so the need for so many local clinics is far reduced. There will still be provision for those who really can’t, but the wait will be longer in most cases. Those can overcome the travel issues really should try to, unless they genuinely don’t mind a significant wait. It really isn’t the case anymore that people should say ‘I’d prefer not to drive 20 miles to somewhere I don’t know, so will wait as the GP will offer me a place locally next week’. It’s more likely to be a month or longer. So if you can get there, then do. But there will always be some who genuinely can’t get there for various reasons, and they will be picked up. And the fewer who could travel that choose not to, the sooner those who really do need the local appointments because they genuinely have not alternative, will get them. If you can travel, even if you don’t want to, do it. It will help those who can’t.

[WreckTangled]

Definitely book the Chichester one, it's five/ten mins walk from the station and you can change the second vaccination appointment to a more convenient location afterwards you'll just have to keep checking back.

Many GP surgeries haven't been doing any vaccinations at all so definitely don't wait, especially as they've already said they won't be contacting you.

[WombatChocolate]

Good advice from WreckTangled.
Hopefully you can get that first slot for soon. And 24 hours later after you’ve had the jab and your records update to show it, you can re arrange the 2nd hopefully to somewhere closer.

Hope you manage to get sorted soon.

[MercyBooth]

Im happy to wait. i dont mind waiting. There are ppl like my 71 year old DH who are unable to travel due to his health conditions. People like this do exist. He wouldnt have given up driving at the beginning of last year if he was able to travel

[MRex]

@MercyBooth

Im happy to wait. i dont mind waiting. There are ppl like my 71 year old DH who are unable to travel due to his health conditions. People like this do exist. He wouldnt have given up driving at the beginning of last year if he was able to travel

Are you suggesting your 71 year old DH was unable to be vaccinated with his age cohort and is still unvaccinated?

[MercyBooth]

There will be ppl younger than my DH but with the same or similar conditions who will be unable to travel.

[Marjoriesdoor]

My mother is disabled and the NHS didn’t expect her to travel. She spoke to her GP and she was added to a list of vulnerable people in her community and her practice nurse came to her house to give her both jabs. She was very relieved as taxis to her nearest hub would have cost her over £100.

[Frazzled2207]

@Marjoriesdoor

My mother is disabled and the NHS didn’t expect her to travel. She spoke to her GP and she was added to a list of vulnerable people in her community and her practice nurse came to her house to give her both jabs. She was very relieved as taxis to her nearest hub would have cost her over £100.

That’s fab but there is massive difference between being disabled (and potentially being vulnerable) and being healthy but not being able to drive.

That said I suspect GPs will eventually “mop up” those who haven’t had theirs for whatever reason

[coffeefi]

Yes same here

I'm just going to wait until I can go locally

[Tealightsandd]

@MercyBooth

There will be ppl younger than my DH but with the same or similar conditions who will be unable to travel.

The problem is too many people seem to think that disability or mobility issues only affect those over 50. Younger disabled people have been slowly erased from society for years now. Look at housing. We have older people's housing - typically for over 55/60s, with adaptions, wheelchair access, sometimes with support staff available. There's very limited availability of similar for younger under 55s. Unfortunately no one seems to care. There's an attitude (seem with the benefits system too) that everyone of working age is able to work, drive, easily get out and about. There's a lot of prejudice about disability but there's equally lots of ignorance too.

[MRex]

@MercyBooth

There will be ppl younger than my DH but with the same or similar conditions who will be unable to travel.

Yes, and the CCG needs to make sure they are sorted before their age cohort are confirmed as done. That could be GP, or mobile units, pop-ups, house service etc. That doesn't mean everyone needs to be jabbed at home when the majority can book elsewhere. I'm not sure what your point is?

[WombatChocolate]

Mercy, is your 71 year old DH still unvaccinated?

Where people are simply unable to leave home or travel the NHS will sort it for them. Lots of home visits were done for those who are housebound. Few people under 40 and who didn't qualify for the jab as CEV or in group 6 with various other conditions will be housebound though.

Many days over 500,000 jabs are delivered (3/4 are 2nd jabs at moment) and 95% of over 50s and groups 1-9 are now done. It's a great achievement isn't it, because within those numbers, the majority of those with significant health conditions reside. The NHS got people jabbed at mass centres, and via GP led services and often contacted people multiple times to ensure they got to that 95% figure. It certainly wasn't the case that people who didn't book, were just left not to have the jab. Where issues like being housebound appeared, the NHS made it happen.

Are you suggesting your DH remains unjabbed and the NHS haven't made multiple efforts to reach him with the jab?

For younger people who haven't been jabbed yet, those with significant medical issues, most will have already been done within Phase 1. Anyone who hasn't will first be offered the mass centres which are administering the vast majority of jabs as the most efficient way to deliver the limited supply to a younger population. Those who don't take it up for whatever reason, like phase 1 will see follow-up, but perhaps not for several weeks and the NHS will follow up multiple times if needed to ensure barriers are overcome to get people to their jabs inna way that works for them.

I really hope your 71 year old DH isn't still waiting whilst wanting to be jabbed. Is that the case?

[EL8888]

My hot tip is input your NHS number when booking, initially l tried without it and it was giving me locations in the next county (l live in a big county!). I then got my letter with my NHS number on and it offered totally different locations. But the onus is on you to get there. For my 1st jab the location is super convenient, literally a couple of minutes from my house. 2nd is miles away and rather tricky to get so

[Tealightsandd]

No wonder, as well as disabled people, take up is lower in deprived areas.

Public transport can be expensive. When someone has to use a food bank because their wages or benefits aren't enough for the essentials, getting 2 or 3 buses for a 3 hour round trip isn't just an inconvenience.

We need to encourage take-up, not put up barriers (particularly for people more at risk from Covid).

What's happened to the local pharmacies that were giving jabs? Why can't they continue doing this?

[Tealightsandd]

Few people under 40 and who didn't qualify for the jab as CEV or in group 6 with various other conditions will be housebound though.

Lots of under 40s are not in group 6 or CEV but can experience difficulty travelling long distances. People with visual impairments, mobility issues, chronic pain, agoraphobia, and various other conditions.

Remember too that many conditions included in group 6 were at GP discretion.

The problem of affordable travel is a separate issue. There's a reason why deprived areas have lower take up. It's not so easy or simple for people on zero hours minimum wage to go on expensive 3-4 hour round trips.

We should have easy access to vaccines. Particularly for groups who have disproportionately suffered in this pandemic, including the disabled and deprived.

Even if people don't care about the poor and disabled, let's not forget we need majority vaccinated to prevent the development of mutated strains. In this situation, altruism and self interest have a shared goal.

[candycane222]

Where I am there are also some pharmacies operating as part of the national system. Problem being they had limited capacity. I found where they were via a map somewhere in that booking website. It was only possible to book first jab at a few centres, but I had much more choice in the second jab part of the process

[WombatChocolate]

There is a balance between ensuring everyone can get the jab (they are doing that by following up anyone who doesn't book via national site when eligible, once enough time has passed to suggest they won't) and running a service which offers the limited supply of 1st doses efficiently. To run all the pharmacies and the GP led services and other local places to give local services for all immediately would mean each running a clinic with tiny supply because only around 120,000 doses are available each day.

The numbers having difficulties travelling will still exist but are smaller than when jabbing over 70s and CEV groups. Additionally, the supply for 1st jabs is much smaller. It isn't efficient to run thousands of tiny sites so everyone can go very locally.

The service is being adjusted all the time to meet the differing needs of different age groups and the varying supply. When you look at how it's adjusted, it's an amazing reactive system which is allowing us to respond to the evolving vaccine picture.

When offering 53m jabs x2 it will never be able to offer the perfect option at the quickest speed to all. The system of first offering each group the national system allows them to offer to large numbers and get through lots with the limited supply. This is really important and does enable most to get the jab fast.....and don't forget this is a key requirement of the whole process.

And then within that efficient, speedy process it's also vital to cater for those who won't fit the standard process too isn't it. Some won't be able to travel and some won't be organised enough to go online and book and some will book and then not turn up. All of those need following up and a tailor-made approach made to get each of them jabbed. That is happening too which is impressive. People might get a text reminding them to book on the national site and some will then book. Some will book after they get a letter and find more sites are now available. If people still haven't booked or contacted their GP, the GP might send them a link to book at a local clinic which has a few jabs available for 1st doses which is mopping up those who didn't get jabbed. If they don't respond, they might be sent the information about a local drop in centre which doesn't need booking. If nothing still happens they might ring them and have a chat about what will help them get the jab. It all takes a lot of resources and energy, but it is happening. It's really important that those who can travel, rather than just would rather not are encouraged to get on and book, because local supply is so small and needs to be used for those such as anyone who really cannot. And those disabled or without the means to access the voluntary services which will take people for their jab, will get a local appointment or even a home visit if they are housebound.

People with genuine issues which mean they cannot travel can always speak up and tell their GP....they don't have to wait and wait. But GPs cannot offer jabs they simply don't have, which is why where people can travel, they need to be encouraged to do so. With supply so limited, a GP local first jab might be several weeks off and will be further off if those who could have travelled insist on waiting for it too.

But remember the vast majority are getting done at the mass centres.the system is working well with many days if over 500,000 being done. We should focus on recognising that too....the whole system cannot be designed in phase 2 of under 50s to deliver in a local way to suit a small number of people who either prefer or need local jabs, when that would be inefficient and slow the whole rollout. Instead, we have a system which is designed to deliver efficiently and quickly when supply is limited AND to ensure no-one is left out either.

Where there are still those over 50 who haven't been jabbed (those 5%) continued follow-up is happening to still try and reach them. I find that pretty impressive.

It's interesting that some people can't see the huge successes of the programme, and instead only seem to see that it's not absolutely perfect for each individual in terms of time and location, when even then, the jab is there for everyone and local is absolutley there for anyone who cannot travel.

By the end of July, those who haven't had the jab, will have been offered it and often offered it several times, including locally. It really won't be that barriers were allowed to prevent them taking up the jab.

[MrsFezziwig]

@MercyBooth

It's not a user friendly system

Which is why i wont be using it.

So if it was user-friendly, you would be using it?

[WombatChocolate]

Tealight, big efforts are going into helping those in less well-off areas get the jab and overcome the difficulties that might stop them such as cost of travel. In areas where take-up is low, the issue is carefully noted. Take up is being charted all the time. Extra clinics are put on as pop-up clinics or the vaccine bus goes. They are well publicised and locations are chosen to try and make it easier for people to go and which might be culturally relevant if that's helpful.

For people with agrophobia, GPs would arrange home visits. For the housebound they will do this. It is absolutely happening , but of courses these cases aren't already identified it all takes a while.

Much of April was given to catch-up of over 50s who hadn't got the jab. GPs worked really hard to make several contacts with individuals and find ways to get the jab to them. Constant messages went to GPs and other vaccine providers about the need to reach people on low incomes, with disabilities, living in deprived areas and anyone who might not find it easy to access the jab. Huge huge amounts of resources went into it.

And it will happen again. We are still in fairly early stages of phase 2.... Just a couple of weeks in and it's too soon to know who isn't going to book on the national system yet. But already, those who haven't will be in the follow-up system and getting texts and social media will be calling on people to contact their GP if they haven't booked. SUpply quite simply is limited and GPs haven't had supply for 1st jabs for a month now, but are expecting more Pfizer especially soon. People will be followed up and barriers overcome.

I find it really interesting that some people have a perception that those with barriers to getting jabs are seeing the barriers built up higher and obstacles out in their way, rather than than seeing all the huge efforts being made to bring those barriers down and actually the great success that is being achieved. Hesitancy has dropped significantly and lots of those who didn't book or respond to texts and letters for a variety of reasons have now been jabbed. It's an astonishing success. And NHS England continues to call on GPs to be creative and find ways to reach those who haven't been jabbed by thinking about how they communicate and where they offer jabs and break down the barriers. They are not resting and saying 'we tried and people didn't respond' but there is HUGE determination to reach people.

So this idea that the disabled and those in low incomes have been abandoned without the jab, just isn't right. Remember we are only 2 weeks into phase 2. It all takes time and of course not all under 50s are yet eligible or jabbed. But they will all be reached.

Tea light, do you feel people have been ignored? Have you not seen the significant efforts to reach those for whom the standard channels which work for most, don't work? Can you still think of lots of over 50s who haven't accessed the jab and who want it but haven't been able to book or get to somewhere that works for them, or are you thinking of under 50s, in this phase 2 which we are only 2 weeks into, and will all just have to be a bit patient for, because with the best will in the world, it's not possible to have done all under 50s in 2 weeks.