Covid boosters no longer being done at GP?

[Ryannah]

I took my Dad for his booster at the local GP about three weeks ago. It’s my Mum’s turn now but the GP says they can no longer assist with getting her vaccinated. Apparently all Covid clinics have been removed from the local practice, a decision made at the top level by the CCG. So I either have to find out myself where there’s a walk-in centre and get her there, or take her to a vaccination hub (nearest is 10 miles away).

AIBU to think this isn’t exactly going to help with an already slow roll-out? Especially when the people being vaccinated are mostly elderly and vulnerable people who may not have access to cars and internet.

GPS providing vaccination is partly why there are so many threads of people unable to access them because there’s a huge backlog which was partly contributed to by GPs time being used to provide vaccines.

This was done as an emergency measure when the task of delivering vaccines was on a far bigger scale than it is for the time being.

While it may have been more convenient for some people personally to just have it done there, it’s absolutely not convenient for the vast majority of the public to have GPs busy jabbing folk amidst the growing backlog.

I’m also unsure why you’d expect transport provided?!

I’m in scotland and have never been able to use a GP for vaccines. My babies jabs were done at vaccination centres. I’d have preferred to take them to out very lovely GP who id have felt at ease with and who I reckon would have done a better job of keeping my toddler calm than the stranger who barely look at her or spoke to her while doing it. In the case of my newborn, I’d have much preferred just going to my GP for his too because that would have meant one appointment that week rather than two for check ups AND separate for jabs. That would have been much closer for me to travel to while still bleeding and waddling also.

However. My children are vaccinated against diseases that could harm them greatly and are part of controlling those diseases for others too. When they get sick I don’t have to worry that it’s any of those awful illnesses that used to cause such devastation to children’s lives.

So I’m just grateful for what I’m privileged to have compared to others across the world and I don’t focus on the perspective that it wasn’t convenient for me to get them there.

Didn’t your mother ever inconvenience herself for you throughout your life? I’m sure there were many times she had to ‘hang around’ for something that benefitted you. Or take you somewhere, or support you through having immunisations as a child. Might it help to just consider times when she’s done similar for you and put yourself out for the day helping to get her protected now that she’s the more vulnerable of you?

Not intending to come across as a twat.

There are lots of volunteers where I live who take people to hwy vaccinated, sounds like you live remotely, anything like that where you are?

I don't know anyone who has been jabbed by their GP.

** get

I'd start ringing round pharmacists. That's where my 86yo mum got hers.

There are threads full of complaints from people not being able to get in to see their GP, obviously they can't do everything, so some things have had to be delivered elsewhere, it's only a one off, not a weekly appointment.

Good to know you “don’t have the time” to drive 20 miles and wait for a short while in a line to help make sure your mother is kept as safe andhealthy as possible for free.

If that isn’t some epic first world entitlement, I don’t know what is.

Our GP practice is doing boosters on Saturdays at special clinics ( exactly as for flu vaccinations). . If we want them done more quickly then we can go to a distant town to a clinic that dies them daily. As I'm still shielding essentially and not going out I'm happy to wait . My DD will have hers done at home because she is bed bound. Our CCg seems to be trying very hard to be for but we do live somewhere with a very high elderly population

There isn’t a long wait at the vaccine hub, OP. It is a timed appointment and you are specifically asked not to arrive more than 5 mins early, to avoid queues developing.
I was taken straight in, hand sanitised, and pointed to a free vaccinator immediately. A few questions, then jabbed, and off to the seats for a precautionary 15 mins in case of allergic reactions. Out the door 20 mins after arrival!
And if you are not free to take your mum, and can’t afford a taxi, there are volunteer drivers who will run her there and back.

I’m afraid as others have said, this comes across as first world entitlement of the highest degree.

If you ring 119 they will find a local clinic /pharmacy

It seems a bit entitled when it all has to be done at your convenience. You are complaining that you might have to wait for an hour. You would struggle to get seen in A&E in an hour so it doesnt seem very long

There's a practical reason GPs can't administer boosters. The majority of the boosters are Pfizer, which has to be stored at ultra low temperatures. Very few GPs with have a suitable freezer to safely store the vaccines.

We are in Scotland. All our jabs were done at our GP practice; we were texted an invitation to make an appointment; and when we arrived they had an incredibly slick efficient system operated by the GP's, p[ractice nurses and HPA's. All through covid we have had no trouble at all contacting the surgery , getting appts for phone consults/ and/or face to face with Drs and other staff. When you only need advice, discussion etc , phone consults by appointment are the bees knees IMO. They ring on time, unhurried, very attentive.

I really can't praise or GP service highly enough.

I recently booked my mother her booster via the NHS site and was given a choice of appointments over several locations. I really think for the benefit of getting this valuable support to your mother's help 10 miles isn't that far. Her first and second jabs were around the 10 miles mark to a major hub but it was important to make that journey. It's not as though you'll be doing the same journey every week - fingers crossed it's the last for a while. I do hope you take the appointment and put your mind and your mother's mind to rest. 🌹

@2bazookas

We are in Scotland. All our jabs were done at our GP practice; we were texted an invitation to make an appointment; and when we arrived they had an incredibly slick efficient system operated by the GP's, p[ractice nurses and HPA's. All through covid we have had no trouble at all contacting the surgery , getting appts for phone consults/ and/or face to face with Drs and other staff. When you only need advice, discussion etc , phone consults by appointment are the bees knees IMO. They ring on time, unhurried, very attentive.

I really can't praise or GP service highly enough.

and all three of our covid jabs were Pfizer./ So it can be done by GP's who have a suitable freezer. They even had a system of making sure they didn't get left with unused |Pfizer at the end of the working day. (list of unvaccinated patients willing to turn up at very short notice)

@2bazookas

We are in Scotland. All our jabs were done at our GP practice; we were texted an invitation to make an appointment; and when we arrived they had an incredibly slick efficient system operated by the GP's, p[ractice nurses and HPA's. All through covid we have had no trouble at all contacting the surgery , getting appts for phone consults/ and/or face to face with Drs and other staff. When you only need advice, discussion etc , phone consults by appointment are the bees knees IMO. They ring on time, unhurried, very attentive.

I really can't praise or GP service highly enough.

I'm in Scotland and none of the jabs I know were done at a GP. They were all done at a vaccination centre.

What area of Scotland are you in?

Are you really serious? You begrudge driving your parent 10 miles to get a life saving vaccine booster?

I think you might want to reassess your priorities.

Are you saying you don't drive so the only way she could get there is by public transport which she is too elderly/infirm to use. There are usually community car schemes available for such circumstances. The GP surgery should be able to point you in the right direction to book one.
FWIW our GP practice did 5 months of vaccine clinics in the first round but they aren't doing any boosters as it took up way too much of their staffing capacity (and one building virtually out if action) to run it and they really need to get on with their usual work load.
We now have to travel 5 miles as a minimum to the nearest centre.

@2bazookas. I'm in England and we can get boosters at our gp - they sent me a text inviting me to book. However, the GP surgeries formed into groups so they were held at the surgeries that had the room to accommodate them and the vaccine was brought daily from the hospital which had the big fridges to hold them. But there are tons of pharmacists that are giving them too, as well as hubs.
In such a large population as England's, there are always going to be people with different requirements that makes receiving a jab for them difficult. But for the vast majority I think the system works well.

I think this is a good thing. Our GP surgery was completely shut to regular patients 2 out 5 days a week to do covid vaccinations for a while. The phone lines were switched off on these days and you got the same message you would at the weekend. It put so much strain on the other three days and it was a nightmare to even get through on days they were open.

10 miles is a long way away when you don't drive and the vaccination hub is out of town with no bus or train access !!

Around here the GP's have never done them, they're done at 'pop up' clinics only. There is one in our town but with very limited slots so most people have had to travel. I've been notified today that I can book mine but the only option is 18 miles away.

Same here, it's two buses minimum to any of the options too. So if you are under 65 as we are it's £6.70 in bus dates and a minimum of 3 hours travel to get a booster, money not everyone has

@Lemonsyellow waiting an hour is ridiculous is your are working, employers should not have to have employees taking 3-4 hours off just to get a vaccine with travel

Mine was done yesterday at GP surgery. Postcode lottery?