DH - tried - to get a flu jab

Does your local Boots or chemist do flu jabs? Our doctors’ practice is the same - just the one date and take it or leave it. We were away at son’s that weekend so booked an appt at Boots and free to over 65s. She did mention a shortage at present due to “unprecedented” demand (as if it couldn’t have been predicted!)

Depending on his age he may not have to pay.

I had my flu jab free at Boots last week. No problems whatsoever. Great service.

The flu jab scenario seems to be part of the overall plan to privatise this aspect of NHS provision.

If we can ensure we get a simple jab at a low cost done by Boots, Lloyds, Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's - then we can reduce NHS funding for these services at the next budget.

Classic Tory underfunding ploy to get us to increase our preference for private sector services (just like NHS Track & Trace), and complain about our GP Practice.

Of course, if Boots, Lloyds and others provided the same flu jab service at the same cost (free) as the GP surgery, then it would spread the load for GPs and get the job done quicker. But then, the NHS funding would then be shuffled off to subsidise pharmacies, just like they subsidise private train operators.

Yup - I do think it's a conspiracy - back door privatisation - first care homes, then dental services, the chiropody .....

My GP advised me that they were taking bookings for flu jabs on sunday's, with the nurse. I booked in immedietly and had no problems.

Also, I got a call from our local hospital a few weeks ago to say that my GP had advised them that I needed a blood test. They wanted to know if it could be done in my home! Of course!

Saved me so much time and trouble, plus the young woman who did it left not a mark on me. I said she must have been doing it for ages and she replied that in fact, she had only been doing it for a few weeks!

She had been a ward clerk and there had been a circuler asking the staff if they wanted to retrain and she grabbed the chance. I am so grateful she did.

It varies so much between surgeries. We have two local rural medical practices. One hired the car park of a sports stadium on the edge of its nearest town and got most of its patients to drive through by appointment on one particular day. My own is running a series of Saturday morning clinics when all 4 doctors and 3 nurses are giving vaccinations, again by appointment only. Only heard positive feedback for how these are being run and organised.

Try working in the NHS - everything is a complete moving target, largely directed by Westminster and the ridiculous behaviour of many of the public

I had mine done at our pharmacy. No charge and done & dusted in 5 minutes. I always have it done this way. No way am i queuing when there is a better, quicker way. The way forward i think

Boots have run out of vaccine too. I am on their waiting list along with several other waiting lists. I'll get one eventually I daresay!

railman until this year, I always had my flu jab at the surgery because I wanted them to get the fee rather than tax dodging Boots. However, this year, all I wanted was to be sure I’d get the jab ASAP and so booked as soon as Boots emailed me ( and I hadn’t heard a word from the surgery).Also I was concerned about what arrangements the surgery would have whereas I knew what Boots would do. If and when times become normal, I’d go back to using the surgery.

DH and I had our flu jabs today at Lloyd's pharmacy. Booked it online 3 weeks ago and this was the earliest appointment that we could get.

Our DD had it done at the same pharmacy last week, and the pharmacist mentioned to her that they had 50 doses of vaccine left for the over 65s. Their Head Office had told them that they wouldn't be getting any more for the rest of the flu season. I am guessing that there's been a bigger demand than usual this year, with people worried about getting infections.

Had flu jab at Boots could never get one at doctors as work weekends and catch up was on a Wednesday when looked after grandson so since then have stuck with Boots .The surgery has now run out of flu vaccine so goodness knows when they will have more in .Asda are doing a drive through flu clinic!

Please don't pay for your flu jab. If you're over 65, have certain health conditions, or care for someone then your jab will be free whether you have it at a surgery or a pharmacy. A lot of the problem is demand outstripping supply. Try to be patient, the people who get the brunt of patient's frustration are often the very people who don't deserve it, the people who have shown up for work and are doing the best they can.

DH has managed to get an appointment for a flu jab at Tesco in our nearest town.

The earliest appointment they could offer him was on 6th November

Had to walk miles to obtain my flu jab and wait outside till my turn came. Thank God it was a nice day, and my GP's refuse to have face to face consultations unless it is really needed, and then you have to queue outside regardless of weather.

Not a good service.

My surgery ran 3 clinics and were fantastic. 1 clinic through a back window sounds ridiculous. Would change surgery to a more efficient one if I were you

Our practice nurses are all working extra hours to meet demand.
The GPs however seemed to have hidden in their bunker since the start of coronavirus and don’t expect them to emerge anytime soon, other than to claim the £10 per head QOF payment per vaccine administered. The nurses tell me they receive no share of it.

Here the GPs are not going to do flu immunisations any more, but it's going to be done by the Health Boards - maybe this is just in Scotland? Anyway, the change was due next year but has been brought forward because of Covid. There seems to be a shambles in Glasgow because they're using an inappropriate computer system, but here in Grampian we got our appointments a couple of weeks ago. Today we went to the school (on October break just now) and were straight in, jabbed, and out with no fuss. Most impressed!

Can I ask those of you who've had it done at Boots, do they need access to you medical records?

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Our surgery has always been very efficient but this year Glasgow Health Board has taken over the flu vaccinations. They have apparently chosen to send out appointments by age, youngest first. One would think that oldest first would make more sense.
We have not received any appointment letters yet but OH was at the surgery well man clinic last week and unexpectedly received his jab.
I suppose I must be patient but unfortunately I’m not good at that.☹️

Kate1949

Can I ask those of you who've had it done at Boots, do they need access to you medical records?

Had mine done at at the little Boots dispensary which is next door to GP surgery. She asked if it were ok to pass on to surgery that we had had our vaccinations done there, to update their records, we said that was fine. I don’t imagine they had any other type of access to our medical records.

Mine was exactly the same as yours polldolly.

I don’t think theyP pharmacies actually have access to your medical records but they do pass on the information to your doctor
I think reading all the posts the majority, by a very long way are extremely positive both for their surgeries and for the pharmacies
I think where some people have gone wrong is not acting soon enough and expecting this year to be the same as every other year it was never going to be that
I don’t think things in U.K. are any mire complicated than any other country if you have to go and collect your medication then go to a different person to get the jab that sounds more complex than just the one visit that we experience Specki4eyes

After checking my surgeries website - no mention of flu jabs - I booked an appointment on line with Lloyds.
I then got a letter from the surgery saying they were doing a one day session at a community centre, no appointments just turn up.
Don't know how that went but glad I went to the pharmacy.