Long journey for vaccine

I don’t think the how to get there has been worked out well if at all. If you don’t drive you’ve got to rely on somebody to give you a lift, not everybody have a partner/family nearby. Bus/taxi I wouldn’t be too happy to use for obvious reasons. But it seems that after booking a far away location, many have received the option of a nearer easier one, which in any case, unless you can walk there, still requires transport!

Apparently 2 letters go out, one national, one local. National have no idea of geography. Somebody, who lives in a suburb with a vaccination hub was told to go 60+ miles away to Birmingham by first letter, which they ignored. In Notts we are in lowest % for over 80s, lots of over 90s around here have not heard.

Yes, BlueSky, the suburb I mentioned is 5 miles from our village, we can give lifts to neighbours, one has a car as well.

Helgawills is right. There are two systems. You are only supposed to be offered the National if you live within 45 minutes drive of a centre. Ours is 1h15 drive, so we did not get a national letter. I got a letter inviting me to go online ( or ring) to book at any of our local centres. There are 7. The one I chose is about 7 miles. I could choose my day and time, from those available, so I chose 11am.
The GP is not involved and they have a notice telling patients not to contact them about vaccinations, though last weekend they did do care home vaccinations.

I got the letter but did not like the location suggested. I rang my local surgery this morning and a recorded message told me that if I have had the letter but don't want to go to the location I will eventually be sked to attend at my local surgery. So I am going to wait.

New vaccination centres are being set up every day. I am sure there will be one closer soon.

Do NOT ring your GO surgery, they can't cope with the calls. You are invited to a vaccination hub if you are within 45 minutes driving of it: however you can wait for the letter asking you to make appointment from your GP's surgery which will point you to their own GP-led vaccination point.

Thanks Tilly! That’s what I wanted to clarify!

Well I certainly had no shortage of requests to attend a vaccination. In all, 6 phone requests including one to my D to arrange for her to give me a lift there, and now, just in the post, an NHS letter requesting me to attend when I ring the number enclosed along with my NHS number. ( I've been ! )

Doesn't anyone communicate any more ?

PS, I was never in any hurry anyway

The process I have had to go through has had me at screaming point. I have had texts inviting me to go online or phone to make an appointment. The texts seemed to come from my GP who is at the end of my road a few steps away. When I went online I was given option for a centre and did not know where any of them were. Having sorted that one out ( the nearest centre to me is a 20 minute drive away ) I booked my slot only for the website to churn round and round and get stuck. I am not sure that the booking has registered. When I tried again I got s message to say I was not authorised to use the website. I tried the phone number to find a recorded message that all lines were used then the dialling tone . Have tried the phone number again and again .My GP is saying don't contact them about the vaccine. I am getting a text a day offering bookings and the same story each time.
I am going to have to ask for a lift from friends - no family nearby. I don't fancy a taxi in such an unknown situation when you get to the centre. I could end up with a very big fare.
Good luck to us all in receiving the vaccine.
I will keep plugging away.

Some people in my village had to go forty miles for their jab and had to go by taxi but two weeks later the local surgery are doing them. It seems to be random, neither alphabetically or by age. I am housebound so nurse came to do mine

In my town in the East Midlands the letters are directing people to two centres one about 30 miles away and one about 45 miles away, however the local showground is being used as a vaccination centre and as long as you have received a letter or phone message from your GP you can contact the showground and get an appointment with a week. So no more than an average of 3-5 mile journey for most people.

I had one if those letters offering centres miles away. I had already googled vaccination centres in my home town and already knew there were several. My own GP was sharing a venue at the local golf club with other local GPs. Yet the letter didn't mention any if them. I phoned the number on the letter to ask why. The lady said that the NHS letter was sent to everyone due a vaccination to cover any who might not be invited by their GP.
I elected to wait and two days later I got a text from my GP with a link to make an online booking at said golf club. I duly clicked the link, made the booking and had my jab yesterday.
I'd, check it with your GP. You can always cancel the long distance booking and wait for one nearer to home. Good Luck.

Our GPs are saying DO NOT ring under any circumstances regarding Covid vaccinations. They will get to everyone eventually IF they receive allocations promised which so far haven’t materialised.

That is terrible, surely there must be a centre nearer than 45 miles away from you. Phone your GP, your local Councillor, MP. There has to be a centre nearer.

I'd travel a ninety mile round trip this instant if I could have the vaccine now, snow and all.

It seems ludicrous to me when we are being asked to keep travel to a minimum. I really hoped the government would not mess up the vaccination programme but I think they have: with last week Matt Hancock telling lies again saying they were still on target for getting all over 70s vaccinated by mid February then saying he guaranteed all over 80s would get vaccinated within 4 weeks ( beyond the date for all over 70s) and that is clearly not possible.
In late December I had a doctor's appointment and my GP said the surgery was ready to go with vaccinations once they were sent the vaccine BUT this has not happened, instead the over 80s are offered a choice of 3 venue hubs one 12 miles away(one way), one 60 miles and one 86 miles away and all only vaccinating just 2 days a week. Well we live in rural North Devon not a big city!!! No idea when we will get vaccinated but I would take whatever you can.

If you don’t feel like ringing the surgery, as they are so busy, you can always email.

I understood that these great big centres are in addition to the more local ones and that, in the beginning, these appointments were sent out before the GPs were informed.

The world health organisation says that some countries are unlikely to receive the vaccine until 2022, spare a thought for them.

A word of advice. Give this vaccine a month to build up immunity in your body before you think you can gad around.

2 nurses and a GP all contracted the virus after having had their vaccines. The GP actuall caught the virus 3 weeks after the vaccine had been administered.

Lilyflower

I'd travel a ninety mile round trip this instant if I could have the vaccine now, snow and all.

Me too. People have moved heaven and earth to roll out this vaccine to protect us all as fast as possible. I can't believe how
anyone would moan about having to travel a way to get it.
(though as a PS, I have actually had mine now. Could have cried with gratitude)

All thought they would be safe after the vaccine, but it still doesn't stop you from getting a positive result later.
So it's 2 weeks isolation then another 2 weeks waiting for the vaccine to kick-in. It's not an immediate panacea but will give a certain amount of protection.

For all you folk that are accepting vaccinations at centres vast distances from home, why have you not phoned the number provided and talk to someone?

That is what I did and the receptionist herself said the venue was ridiculous for someone that had shielded for 9 months and sorted it all for me. So, Thursday this week about 10 miles away - job almost done.

We did phone the number as you suggested silvercollie but ended up speaking to surgery, who were not very helpful and didn't ring back as they said they would.
In the end we booked on line at the only place available, which was a very inconvenient place, requiring parking a distance away and using the wheelchair.
Not at all easy.

My mother, in her 80s, has the letter from the NHS. I went online and she wasn't happy to go to the nearest centre available. You don't have to take up this offer. Now her GP has called her to a vaccination centre 3 miles away and she had her first jab this morning.