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.

@PurpleDaisies

I don’t think people understand living rurally.

Agreed. My original vaccination centre was a 12 mile round trip. For my booster it is a 30 mile round trip. I will get it done but it's not a case of just dropping into a chemist.

Our nearest is 8 miles away with no public transport. After that it is 30 miles away - an hour away on a 2 hourly bus.

Special provision will be made for the very elderly who really cannot travel, but what are people suggesting for everyone else?

Are people suggesting that clinics should be running within 5 or 10 miles of everyone in the country? Think how many that would be and the tremendous use of resources that would involve and the cost in Terms of other NHS provision which couldn’t happen.

The reality is, like with hospitals, it doesn’t make sense to provide thousands of tiny ones. People do have to travel some distance. Yes, this partIcularly affects people in rural areas, which by nature are more remote and further from some facilities. It’s just a reality isn’t it, that you have to plan ahead and getting the jab might involve some time, effort and sometimes some cost.

It’s not possible lento provide the booster jab for everyone so locally and conveniently that there is never any cost to us in terms of time, money and effort. And unfortunately, some people don’t seem to be willing to expend hardly any of any of these, but want it all on their doorstep and a perfect time and to take only 3 minutes of their time.

Again, the NHS will find ways to get the jab to those who are housebound and really cannot travel for whatever reason…..but of course, reaching those people does take some time. And the system relies on those who are able to get there for themselves or to help relatives or neighbours to get there, to do so. That means that some people will need to travel 30 miles or more, it might take a considerable amount of time for some people and there might be a cost implication for some people. Suck it up…..we do have to take some responsibility for ourselves and put ourselves out sometimes. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being asked to do that if we are able to.

@PurpleDaisies

I don’t think people understand living rurally.

Very true! But I echo that when GPS do the mass vaccinations g flu and Covid they don't take away from any routine appointment available to patients. They are done separately by a team dedicated for that task for that time. At our mass Covid sessions it was staff from any one of 6 GP practices in our rural area, all nurses not GPS and it was every day round the back in a set of meeting rooms. No one went through the surgery at all. This time it's Saturday and Sunday slots. Mine might be before Christmas which I'm hoping as I'm clinically extremely vulnerable. DH isn't CEV so he may drive to the nearest big town which has a centre for boosters. I have huge sympathy for the local staff who are trying their utmost to offer a flexible service to our mainly elderly population many of whom are house bound. We have lots of volunteers who are driving people all over the place

Did you click for a venue with disabled parking? I did that and got a hub in neighbouring town. Took of the disabled parking off and got a pharmacy 2 miles away with onroad parking outside.

We live rurally, all the local pharmacies are doing vaccinations plus there are some local hubs. I just went onto the system and booked an appointment in our local small market town for a day when I already had another appointment there.

@PurpleDaisies

I don’t think people understand living rurally.

I think it's more that people expect those who choose to live rurally not to expect the same facilities on the door step as those who live in a town.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot

I agree with this: I absolutely know what it's like to live rurally - I used to live in an area where the nearest shop that even sold a newspaper was over 2 miles away, and the nearest post office or pharmacy at all was 4 miles.

We (and our rural neighbours) were very used to having to travel - 15+ miles for hospital appointments or a proper supermarket and 9 to even access a small co-op supermarket (rather than a convenience store).

Certainly in our area, 98% of the area is within 10 miles of a vaccination service, and I think that's a pretty normal distance to have to travel if you live rurally. Most sites are on (irregular, slow) bus routes, but again irregular and slow buses are par for the course if you live rurally and don't drive. It's not a vaccination service problem, it's a rurality problem.

I've been volunteering as a steward in various booster clinics. I've been to pharmacies and GP surgeries. The GPs seem to mostly run a short clinic around lunchtime/early afternoon, which doesn't seem to be a time when they are busy with other patients.

I don't know how the allocation of vaccine/staff works but mostly they tell people enquiring about appointments that they should go through the website or 119 and each venue puts its sessions up from time to time. So you might find nothing and then something very convenient pops up half an hour later. It all seems a bit hit and miss from the user's POV.

From my own booking experience, a large local pharmacy had lots of appointment times all day all week and more appeared between booking mine and DH's.

I agree that you have to keep checking a few times every day. I had a week of no appts, then another lot appeared.

That means that some people will need to travel 30 miles or more, it might take a considerable amount of time for some people and there might be a cost implication for some people. Suck it up…..we do have to take some responsibility for ourselves and put ourselves out sometimes

And yet when it came to lockdowns personal responsibility was a no no. Im 48 My DH is 71. Im not sitting on a bus packed with people for two hours. Assuming the bus turns up. Scaremongering has consequences. Its that OR a £70 taxi fare. Some ppl just cant do it. My first was Moderna and there is a shortage. They also wont mix them so i was refused Pfizer which is what our local pharmacy does now. Thats where i had my first. Its not the volunteers fault They are doing a great job but logistically its not going as well as is being made out. And the media blackout on ppl who had Moderna initially, being told they cant have a second vaxx due to a rule on not mixing them wont be helping with trust either.

EffOrfagain

My vaccination centre is 15 miles away so I probably won't bother for the moment, there may be somewhere nearer in the new year, I'm not in any rush.

15 miles is nothing if you live rurally. Surely you go out to work, shop, cinema whatever somehow? Everyone should be trying to get their booster sooner rather than later, New Year we could we right back in the poop again and your vaccination will have worn off as you haven't taken up booster

15 miles is nothing if you live rurally. Surely you go out to work, shop, cinema whatever somehow? Everyone should be trying to get their booster sooner rather than later, New Year we could we right back in the poop again and your vaccination will have worn off as you haven't taken up booster

I don't live rurally, I live in a town with all the facilities you mention, I don't work. You have no idea when my vax wears off and it's not even due until early/mid December, there is not a cut off which happens dead on 6 months when it stops working, don't be such a fool to think this.

Agreed. My original vaccination centre was a 12 mile round trip. For my booster it is a 30 mile round trip. I will get it done but it's not a case of just dropping into a chemist.

I really don’t understand this. A 12-mile round trip is 6 miles. That would be the other side of the town I live in, I have multiple reasons to go there for normal day to day life stuff. Do people who live rurally not normally need to go more than 6 miles from their home for anything? I have no idea how anyone would survive if 6 miles is considered to be an epic journey!

I said in my original post I lived in a town, about 25k people I believe, posters assumed I lived in a field, I would not expect to go to my GP surgery for a jab as I have not used them for probably 20 years, surprised I was still registered, so would not expect to be able to just use them for my vaccination, that would be a bit off. I would however expect it to be done in a pharmacy or other such place in a town of it's size as they are for everyone and I would not be using a GP surgery resource.

I can sympathise. I have a 16yr old who is eligible for a second dose. Nearest walk-in is 3hrs by public transport, over 15 miles away. They walk past a vaccination hub every day but because it is a 'booking only' hub we can't access it.

In my area there are a couple of large vaccination centres where you can go without an appointment. Then there are the pharmacies etc that are listed on the nhs site to make appointments. The appointments offered here are in 5min slots, so I don’t think there will be long queues.

Also there are double decker buses touring the villages, they advertise which day for what village. You can go to one of these without appointment.

Seems to be plenty of choice to suit various lifestyle needs. Another thing I noticed was appointments are offered in evenings as well.

@Cattitudes

I can sympathise. I have a 16yr old who is eligible for a second dose. Nearest walk-in is 3hrs by public transport, over 15 miles away. They walk past a vaccination hub every day but because it is a 'booking only' hub we can't access it.

I don’t understand. If your child is eligible, why can’t they book a slot?

Try accessing it differently. I was offered 15 miles away at a racecourse, and then I tried again through a different search, and booked 4,05pm at Tesco, 2.9 miles away.

GPs used their own “call and recall” systems in the first phases of vaccination. These have been around in one form or another for decades. These days they are largely based on text messages as the primary form of notification that you are being called in. Phone call and letters are also used for second and third calls. Generally they stop calling after 3 tries but much more effort was made for Covid.

For the booster phase a lot of GP hubs have decided to use the NBS rather than call and recall. There are many good reasons for this and it means you will find GP appointments on there. Don’t assume you will be called by the GP in this phase.

Appointments are uploaded and changed all the time depending on supply and workforce availability. GPs and pharmacies don’t run sessions every day and might vary capacity due to staff and supply levels.

Check the NBS regularly and closer to the time you are ready. Find out what pharmacies do it, many will offer walk-in to use up slots where people have failed to show.

Booster vaccines supplies, Pfizer and Moderna, are unfrozen for GPs and pharmacies. That’s means each supply has an expiration date. Supply levels go up and down. Workforce availability is up and down. It’s a real headache to manage the logistics of that and plan ahead. That’s why slots change all the time.

@Ryannah - check the slots here: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/book-or-manage-a-booster-dose-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine/.

@MercyBooth - book the second dose here; it will show only Moderna sites: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/book-or-manage-a-1st-or-2nd-dose-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination/

@Cattitudes - your GP needs to get this second dose booked if they are vulnerable, when was the first dose? You can contact the CCG if your GP isn't helping.

I live very rurally. It’s a choice. There are consequences that come with that choice. One is not being able to get decent Thai food. Another is having to travel longer distances for healthcare.

If you’re not happy with that then live in a town in a good bus route. Personally I would hate that, so accept the inconveniences that come of living in rural nowhere.

No, dd is not vulnerable, it is due to their frontline hospice work, so can't book online has to go to a walk-in centre with staff id. We could go all the way and then find out need different letter/ confirmation and have to come back.

@Cattitudes

No, dd is not vulnerable, it is due to their frontline hospice work, so can't book online has to go to a walk-in centre with staff id. We could go all the way and then find out need different letter/ confirmation and have to come back.

Just call them up and check what's needed in that case.

i had my booster but it was miles away for dh
but he called the surgery and their sister surgery is doing one, less miles

i have heard that there is help with transport if needed op