Covid-19 discussion thread

[MyNameIsTerry]

I had a text message from my practice today, giving me a link to book my booster jab.

So I typed in my NHS number (which I now remember) and date of birth, as requested.

"You are not eligible to use this service."

Thanks for that... I *assume* it's because I'm two weeks early or I'm going to be contacted via the vaccination centre, or something...

Did you use the NHS booking page? If so it rejects you if you try to book before 182 (I think) days from your second jab. It could be that?

I tried to book for my dad, since we are getting no idea of timescale from our surgery even for my mum who is over 6 months and classed as extremely vulnerable, but it rejected despite being the exact required days. I'm about to try again.

Edit: now it says 190 days. It definitely didn't say that a couple of days ago.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Congrats to you Pulisa.

Same from me, pulisa. It seems up in the air at our surgery.

Looking at the local vaccination stats it's just not happening with the schools either.

[pulisa]

I feel guilty for getting mine done at a walk in centre but I had to because I don't trust the NHS booking service or my practice and I'm responsible for 2 vulnerable adults.

It's disgraceful that your mum hasn't had her booster yet, Terry. Could you not get a nurse to come in to give the jabs to both your parents? In view of her being housebound?

[Lencoboy]

I feel guilty for getting mine done at a walk in centre but I had to because I don't trust the NHS booking service or my practice and I'm responsible for 2 vulnerable adults.

It's disgraceful that your mum hasn't had her booster yet, Terry. Could you not get a nurse to come in to give the jabs to both your parents? In view of her being housebound?

We are in the same boat due to my mom's dementia and her technically being 'housebound', and we're meant to be having someone come to do the jabs at home, but so far not a dickie bird from our local practice, neither for the Covid booster jab nor the annual flu jab.

[Pamplemousse]

Did you use the NHS booking page? If so it rejects you if you try to book before 182 (I think) days from your second jab. It could be that?

I tried to book for my dad, since we are getting no idea of timescale from our surgery even for my mum who is over 6 months and classed as extremely vulnerable, but it rejected despite being the exact required days. I'm about to try again.

Edit: now it says 190 days. It definitely didn't say that a couple of days ago.

I did, which I think is the problem; mind you, it has never let me book anything - I've always been sent an appointment via SMS directly from the practice and changed it if necessary.

The 190 days is, I think, in accordance with the statement of "if you haven't heard from us after six months plus one week for your booster". which would be 190 days. So in my case that'd be the 19th of November.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I feel guilty for getting mine done at a walk in centre but I had to because I don't trust the NHS booking service or my practice and I'm responsible for 2 vulnerable adults.

It's disgraceful that your mum hasn't had her booster yet, Terry. Could you not get a nurse to come in to give the jabs to both your parents? In view of her being housebound?

That's what we are trying to do but the surgery say they are still sorting things out. They've told dad to try a walk in centre, which he will do if needed (only two here and one is the hospital with a long walk to access from the car park. He's struggling to walk at the moment due to something they are investigating in his lower leg), whereas last time they sent him to a GP hub. They won't do dad at home as they didn't last time but he's ok with that as long as they book him in to go somewhere. So now I'm trying to book him in which might be difficult as our centres have been hard to access all through this.

The media have been saying there is less push for GPs to give boosters. This is why dad has started chasing them so mum gets hers because we know our surgery will be even more lax if no pressure is on them.

He's chasing for the flu jab too as they gave him a day, never turned up and never called back about. After some running around they explained their fridges are broken and jabs have been lost. That didn't explain why they never turned up or called to rebook.

It's what they can be like.

[MyNameIsTerry]

We are in the same boat due to my mom's dementia and her technically being 'housebound', and we're meant to be having someone come to do the jabs at home, but so far not a dickie bird from our local practice, neither for the Covid booster jab nor the annual flu jab.

Did you read about GPs not being pushed in favour of using walk ins? Perhaps best your dad gives them a nudge so they know you are waiting? Low priority to GPs can mean 'when we can be bothered' in our experience.

[Lencoboy]

I don't know what's going on but overall confirmed cases have actually dropped to 39k today, despite reaching 52k on Thursday (21st October) and being on a bit of a downward trend since Friday, notwithstanding the fact that Wales doesn't publish their stats on Saturdays.

Last Sunday (17th October) by comparison, cases were 45k.

Still no room for complacency though.

[Lencoboy]

I've also noticed that the dashboard site still hasn't as yet started publishing stats for the take-up of the third 'booster' jab.

Also there barely seems to be any info on stats for Covid reinfections here in the UK (from any 'official' site).

[pulisa]

That's what we are trying to do but the surgery say they are still sorting things out. They've told dad to try a walk in centre, which he will do if needed (only two here and one is the hospital with a long walk to access from the car park. He's struggling to walk at the moment due to something they are investigating in his lower leg), whereas last time they sent him to a GP hub. They won't do dad at home as they didn't last time but he's ok with that as long as they book him in to go somewhere. So now I'm trying to book him in which might be difficult as our centres have been hard to access all through this.

The media have been saying there is less push for GPs to give boosters. This is why dad has started chasing them so mum gets hers because we know our surgery will be even more lax if no pressure is on them.

He's chasing for the flu jab too as they gave him a day, never turned up and never called back about. After some running around they explained their fridges are broken and jabs have been lost. That didn't explain why they never turned up or called to rebook.

It's what they can be like.

That is appalling, Terry. Can you lodge an official complaint with your practice manager? I know it's more work for you but you should at least have been contacted to cancel and rearrange the appointment. I don't reckon Her Maj will have experienced such a "service" ..

I had the luxury of going to a nearby walk in centre. For those who don't have that option or who are completely housebound it must be a complete fiasco and very unfair. I think the more publicity these failings have the more notice will be taken and ministers will stop congratulating themselves smugly on the magnificent rollout.