A million jabs a day?

One million jabs a day is completely impossible for the NHS to deliver, quite apart from the distraction of fending off those with other conditions in order to run the centres. And GP surgeries were given 12 hours notice to implement this!

I’ve just had a text from my GP surgery saying that, in view of the announcement about GPs getting more involved with booster jabs, we are not to phone them for appointments but use 111 instead! It sounds like they are closing down! Bit drastic?

Certainly not well thought through, seems like setting up the NHS to fail.
The target is unachievable.

Worse will be the anxiety of those who can't get GP advice at all or whose surgery and other procedures is "postponed".

We keep being told not to panic. The person panicking yesterday was the prime minister.

Set up large vaccination centres like they did for the initial injections. The army set up the one we had our first one from and were so efficient and well organised. Can't expect GPs to do it.

I had my booster yesterday. It was only a small unit but had apparently been busy all day. At 6 o'clock when I left there were still people arriving for their appointments. One of the nurses told me it was the same in three nearby facilities which were larger.

I’ve had several communications with my GP practice today, including confirmation that the first they heard of the new COVID Booster roll-out was when Boris Johnson announced it on TV. That’s shamefully bad practice!

The vaccine has to be ordered two weeks in advance, stewards have to be booked, roles within the practice need to be re-allocated - and all during the busiest period for GPs and at the same time as flu jabs are still being administered! Our Practice Manager is an absolute gem, but others locally have sought new jobs because the stress is simply too much for them.

Ours is a very well run surgery with totally committed staff, but I’m really concerned for their mental health. The high turnover of people leaving due to stress is a very worrying trend.

we had our boosters at a large vaccination centre and we had to queue, even with bookings and it ran way over allotted time because of the temperature safety of the vaccines and then the waiting afterwards (this is no criticism of the staff and volunteers - they were wonderful, just the reality of how it works - they open a box, that box has to be used within a given time)

Aveline

Set up large vaccination centres like they did for the initial injections. The army set up the one we had our first one from and were so efficient and well organised. Can't expect GPs to do it.

They can’t set one up in ours as they’re doing a pantomime in it….

that was two weeks ago fwiw. I was called as I am classed as a carer

I read something from the NHS (?)today that said he should have said over 18’s will be offered the jab before the end of the year, not given it. I’ve read about people with appointments today that had to queue for ages because so many people turned up.

My poor GD is bracing herself in readiness for the " fallout " after Christmas. She's a nurse and was so exhausted and worn out last year for weeks after. It's not fair on hospital staff

I think the government will cover themselves with a million invitations a day. Whether or not these invitees can manage to get an actual appointment is another matter. I suspect 'impossible' but hope to be wrong.

This morning my local vaccination centre was booked up until the 4th of January. Goodness knows how far in advance the appointments have got since then.

Yet some people seem to just be able to walk in to places and get a booster. It's such a lottery. DD queued for 2 hours yesterday even though she had an appointment. Her friends couldn't wait as they had childcare problems
They texted to say that they'd found a centre locally, walked in, no waiting and got their boosters!

As a naysayer, I don't think this is going to be doable.
It's been said to try a smooth over very murky waters, but the reality is different.
No appointments to get the jab showing up around here at all, and hasn't been for ages.

I’m more hopeful now Brigadier Phil is on the case ?

"Knee-jerk authoritarianism to compensate for lack of confidence ". Morning Star---13/12/2021.

Boris is clutching at any straw to win himself some Brownie points. I don't know what other GN's experience has been of vaccine jabs but I have found the booster roll-out has not been as efficient as the first 2 jabs.

Sarnia

Boris is clutching at any straw to win himself some Brownie points. I don't know what other GN's experience has been of vaccine jabs but I have found the booster roll-out has not been as efficient as the first 2 jabs.

It certainly wasn't as intense. Our GP practice was doing initial vaccinations every weekend, Saturdays and Sundays, about 2,000 a day. When I got my booster it was just one day a week and not so many being dealt with.

MissAdventure

As a naysayer, I don't think this is going to be doable.
It's been said to try a smooth over very murky waters, but the reality is different.
No appointments to get the jab showing up around here at all, and hasn't been for ages.

MissA the clinic down the road from me does walk-ins on Thursdays and some Saturdays.

My son can’t get his booster till January. I really want him boostered now.

Different areas, GP’s and Health Authorities.My DGS has just booked his booster shot for the 19th December.

Given there is no way everybody will be vaccinated by the end of December, it does seem a mad system in England to me, surely it’s better to offer boosters to the most vulnerable first? I’m all in favour of walk in centres, but by age band would seem more sensible as older people are most likely to end up in hospital.

Given there is no way everybody will be vaccinated by the end of December, it does seem a mad system in England to me, surely it’s better to offer boosters to the most vulnerable first?

Sorry, but doesn't the fact that the vulnerable were vaccinated first and you can't (or couldn't) get your booster until at least 8 weeks after your vaccination mean that the vulnerable should have been called first?

I had mine last week and wasn't called until I was nearly 10 weeks post vaccination. I think the fact that most boosters are not AZ is causing a bit of a problem as the boosters need different storage conditions to AZ.