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Original poster

Annual flu jab

22 replies

andyoldlabour · 26/11/2020 12:14

Both my DW and myself are in the "at risk" group so receive an annual flu jab from our GP surgery. We were sent letters back in October, telling us to go to the surgery on 7th November between 09:00 and 11:00. We went at 08:30 but there was a huge queue (alarm bells already), we couldn't park, went home and returned at 10:00. Shorter queue (not moving though) so we waited and waited and waited. At around 10:45 a nurse told us that the surgery was closed, that we should go home because they had run out of vaccine. I asked how that was possible, surely you only invite enough people for the vaccine available. She said it was first come, first served.
Nearly three weeks later and we still haven't had a flu jab. Are we being unreasonable to feel really angry about this?

OP posts:
makingmiracles · 26/11/2020 12:26

Seems poorly organised tbh. I’m entitled to the flu jab but i booked and paid for one with Tesco at the beg of September, i had already suspected uptake would be high and didn’t want to wait and they run out for the sake of £9.

Did you know it would be first come first serve beforehand? If they didn’t make that clear on the invite i think its perfectly reasonable to complain.

If i were you I’d try the supermarkets/pharmacies and see if they have any left, even if you do have to pay. Tesco had slots for nhs jabs so I’m guessing they can do them for free as well as at the surgery.

Glueberries · 26/11/2020 12:33

Try some of the pharmacies local to you if you are getting no joy with your GP, a lot will be able to offer the free NHS flu vaccination

lunar1 · 26/11/2020 12:52

Go to a supermarket pharmacy, if you are entitled to a free one you fill in a form and it's still free. I get mine at Asda and it's by appointment so no queue.

toomuchfaster · 26/11/2020 12:58

Go to any local pharmacy and you may get one depending on stock levels, it will vary from branch to branch. If you are entitled to a free one, you should be able to get it for free in any pharmacy, dependent on the pharmacist having been signed off to give them on the NHS.

helloxhristmas · 26/11/2020 13:13

If you can just go to Boots or a supermarket

Fifthtimelucky · 26/11/2020 13:22

That sounds very badly organised.

I've just had a text message inviting me to book an appointment at my local health centre on one of two days that are reserved for my age group (50-64). They said it was come first served. The phone number they provided has been engaged ever since but I hope to get through later.

My husband (70) had his jab weeks ago.

User258544 · 26/11/2020 21:00

It's free at Boots if you are at risk. I'm 40 and at risk so I just take a letter mentioning my condition in case they want to see it, only cos it's rare. You can book online. No faffing or waiting for letters. I can do without adding stress.

Coolerthanapolarbearstoenails · 26/11/2020 21:06

Our gps ran out ages ago. I haven't had one yet.

At my gps they have to order them a year in advance apparently, so they placed the order based on last years turn out.

All the chemists round here have also run out or are saving them for the extremely vulnerable.

Coolerthanapolarbearstoenails · 26/11/2020 21:07

@User258544

Have you tried clicking to book? They've suspended booking due to demand

User258544 · 26/11/2020 21:45

I'm really sorry I didn't realise. I knew there was a period when they stopped but thought they started again. It's be worth giving local Boots a call to see when they get it again. If the surgery have not been in touch they may have the same issue. I booked in mid Sept as I always do or I forget.

Original poster
andyoldlabour · 27/11/2020 11:14

Thanks for all the replies. My local pharmacy hasn't got any. They booked me in for a time slot, no mention of first come, first served, it was chaos.

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 27/11/2020 11:17

Sounds very badly organised. My GP surgery did them with military precision, in and out in a couple of minutes.

butterpuffed · 27/11/2020 16:56

Nearly all the pharmacies do them, Boots, Superdrugs, Lloyds, many independent ones, also pharmacies in supermarkets, Asda, Tesco etc.

If you're entitled to free ones they will be free in all the above places too.

Torvean32 · 27/11/2020 17:31

Boots booking has been down for a month.
Sainsburys is also down but if you ask in the pharmacies some will do them. That's how I got mine.

BackforGood · 27/11/2020 17:50

'Really angry' three weeks later seems a bit OTT, but I would have been annoyed on the day, yes.
Our GP surgery have been incredibly careful with appointments and making sure people don't come to the surgery unnecessarily. It sounds like that was a really poorly thought out set up, and would have questioned it at the time, and asked what the plan was for the folks who were eligible, but not able to have the vaccine on that morning.

Floralnomad · 27/11/2020 17:53

Go to a non local pharmacy then . Your gp sounds badly organised but if they’ve got no vaccine then there’s not a lot they can do and it’s not their fault that you didn’t want to queue and couldn’t park .

Original poster
andyoldlabour · 29/11/2020 12:37

BackforGood

I did ask on the day why they hadn't invited the same number of patients as they had doses of vaccine, but the nurse said that would have been discriminatory Confused. I then suggested they should have done it in alphabetical order and she gave the same answer as above.
They basically organised a chaotic situation.

OP posts:
JinglingHellsBells · 29/11/2020 13:11

It's appalling.

I expect they did it on the basis that 50% of people would not turn up.

I had a letter for my appt and it turned up with a couple of days' notice and I was away on holiday (when it was allowed.)

I booked my own with a vaccine clinic.

lunar1 · 29/11/2020 13:33

Over the years it has become apparent that you have to be very proactive to get a timely flu jab. I booked mine in august for September and got an appointment. I always book ASAP.

Ds1 and I were hospitalised with swine flu a few years ago, dh and ds2 weren't as they were immunised in the vulnerable group, they didn't catch it at all. Since then I've always made sure to ensure we get an early slot.

Original poster
andyoldlabour · 30/11/2020 14:21

Quick update. I looked up my surgery online and the first hit was a message from their website, updated on 26th November which said this:

"UPDATE REGARDING FLU LETTERS BEING SENT FROM NHS ENGLAND:
We are aware a letter from NHS England was sent recently which has been sent to patients who are not eligible for a flu vaccine. We have been notified by NHS England that this was sent in error and these patients will be sent an apology for the incorrect information given. Please only attend our walk in flu clinics if you have been invited by the practice.
(Site updated 26/11/2020)"

Also, this morning both my DW and myself received text messages asking us to phone the surgery to book in our annual flu jab.

OP posts:
carnations23 · 30/11/2020 14:29

Sounds badly organised.

I got a letter through the post with a specific time and date and I was the only one in the large hall getting the flu jag ( local health centre took over a community Hall that had been shut to deal with flu jags) . Was very pleased at the way it was ran.

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