Bureaucratic nonsense

It would have made sense for the lady you spoke to on the phone for her to make an appointment for you there and then, when she sees you are elegable, it would save her another phone call.Red tape I would call it.

I just am afraid we will be 'missed out' altogether as we had our flu jabs separate from covid booster, at chemist, as our docs surgery usually gets flu jabs in later...

Granless, its a trail though, to get it done, even for us Lancashire area dwellers- cant see my OCD son wanting to drive all the way there for it..he only leaves house if strictly no other option...ditto other one who was on shielding list..?

Singingnutty- Good luck, sounds like you'll need it?I hope ours will be easier, because i cant even prove my youngest sons with his blue card, it went in the wash in his hoody pocket when we got home after going for 2nd jab! (Maybe if they had given us small laminated cards instead of paper/card type ones it would have survived the wash!)??

I agree with you Luckygirl,I don't think you were trying to move up the queue to go to a concert,you were trying to do what we have been told to do,and being sensible too

I agree with Luckgirl, because as she says she's NOT trying to get her booster ANY earlier at all- just trying now to get the date for when it IS due to be had- i mean, she might ring back on that thursday in question and then there might not be any appts till say for example, another 2, or even 3 or 4 weeks- its like when dentist says, 'make an appt for 6months', for example then you leave it and ring at right time to find there's NOTHING for over another month! Only with booster jabs it really does need doing by date given, or immunity starts to go down, and thats not good in these covid times, especially with winter on the way- it may not be such a risk if you are staying in the house, out of (mostly) harms way, till your given appt date- but if you are out & about (no matter what your reason) then the risk is going to be greater- so Luckygirl is quite right, and yes she should be allowed to book the date now, so long as the appt date is on or after when its become due- she's NOT asking to jump any queues, just secure her due date! Whats wrong with that? ! It must be that system is not set up to accept it now, which of course IS nonsense! Especially if there's a human operator who is putting dates in- they should be able to choose it manually now, by overriding the system, so long as the 6months and 1week date is observed.

DH got a message a while ago inviting him to make an appointment for the booster, so, after some trouble getting through to the surgery, he made an appointment. He asked to make one for me - we had our 2nd jabs on the same day and was told that they couldn't book me in because they had no record of my 2nd jab. I was unable to get through to the surgery (this is normal now, engaged all day every day) so I went there and presented my little card and my record must have been amended because I got through yesterday after 5pm and the receptionist could see my 2nd jab registered, but still was unable to make me an appointment. The system wouldn't allow it! So I am about to take myself back to the surgery (lucky we live quite close isn't it?) and try to speak to the person who she said was the only member of staff who could help me. Wish me luck folks!

I too have had problems trying to book booster: GP got no vaccines; NHS online I’m not eligible; 119 I’m not eligible.
So...... I went to the Etihad Stadium Walk-In Centre Manchester yesterday and, hey ho, came out having been ‘boostered’ ... no hassle, job done.

Hattiehelga

On the front page of Mail on Sunday it stated that the Health Minister has instructed the NHS to give boosters after FIVE months to get the programme rolled out quicker.

Well, that's not really the case is it?

The Health Minister has "ordered" the NHS to allow people over 50 to book their boosters a month before they are due to have them. Which should make some people posting here very happy.

However, that doesn't mean they get their boosters a month early. Just in case anyone was thinking of complaining that their 5 months are up and they haven't had their booster yet.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10124033/Millions-Covid-vaccine-ministers-rip-booster-jab-booking-system.html

I can't really comment as l had my booster jab as a keyworker. The first two vaccinations were at the hospital. I booked my booster online with Boots. All l would say is that people were just walking on, as well as those of us who had booked, but as long as.people were over 65 they weren't turning anyone away. Although l had paperwork stating l was a keyworker (l am over 65) no one was bothered about looking at the paperwork.

We were called in for our boosters by text. My husband accepted his appointment but I couldn't as I needed a gap between 'flu inoculation and booster, as I have a reaction to them.

I was then sent daily texts offering me an appointment, none of which I could accept. Finally, after an 8-day gap (which I was advised to have) I could accept an appointment.

I write the above to show that, in our case, at least, the system worked well. 'They' know when one is due and when someone has not accepted an appointment. I was very impressed.

The original poster's conversation with the appointment clerk was interesting as the clerk obviously could not slot her in - the computer programme she was using would not let her. It was not a matter of the clerk being difficult, the system was set up and that's that.

Has the original poster considered stocks of vaccine? Stocks are not held in vast quantities and are allocated as to the number of booked appointments. If many people tried (I understand she felt she was within the prescribed time-span) to book appointments before their allotted slot, there would not be enough vaccine.

As to those who have been cross that their GP's cannot book them in - this was very probably because the practice had not been given a date whereby they would receive their vaccine supply.

I am sure it must have been annoying for Luckygirl but in a pandemic situation as we have at the moment, computer systems are required to help run the vaccine roll-outs, be they 'flu jabs, anti-Covid inoculations or boosters.

There is much to organising vaccine sessions, everything from staffing, clerical help and even toilet cleaners. Everything is not as straightforward as it may at first appear.

I booked a booster jab then had to cancel it as I hadn’t waited for 6 months. Then received a text from my surgery asking me to make my appointment. So I’m now having it on Friday - one week less than five months after my second jab.

My DH is severely vulnerable due to his treatment for cancer. He is older than I am. Both had the two vaccinations at same time, last one over six months ago. I had booster 3 weeks ago. DH no appointment as yet. Worried he had been missed tried every number and contact via website, GP practice (not interested,). Eventually took a stab in the dark phoned a number other side of country, selected the first option which didn't seem appropriate and behold the operator described herself as an agent, contacted other agents and came up with an appointment for end of week. Perseverance, and 3 hours of trying came up with a result. System is chaotic.

Presumably, as it's all computerised, that file wasn't open yet and she couldn't book you in.
Daughter had flu jab today at Pharmacy but that has to be noted at surgery. My 2 Covid jabs were at a centre, that data also had to be sent to my doctor. All this cross-referencing must be very complicated.

It’s not queue-jumping if all a person is doing is using the system we’ve been given.

As it is, I’ve heard nothing about a flu or booster yet, except that it may not be until Jan/Feb. The local health board page hasn’t been updated since 13th October. My Dh has been done but the system now seems to have stalled.

Computer systems drive the world now and unfortunately they are designed by humans who make assumptions and because they may not have thought about all the variables, sometimes these systems are faulty. Take the example of the GP surgery, when the GP says I would like to see you back here in one month (yes that still happens in my surgery in London) but she can't book me in because the system can't allow it. If they could book appointments a month hence when that time comes there might be no room for those needing immediate treatment. So it's a system problem, and that's what is happening with Luckygirl. There is no physical way that the system can be over-ridden - it's not a question of a poorly-paid NHS clerk being able to use initiative to over-ride that system. It's more a question of you Luckygirl, if you are on talking terms with your MP, using that position to lobby for more resources for the NHS so that computer/system programmers can design more sophisticated systems.

As an aside though there's a good reason for a long period between jab 2 and the booster - and that's to allow the immunity to wane and give us chance to build up some natural immunity. Rolling from one jab to another is a sure way to weaken us rather than protect us. I also find the idea that one needs time to get over the booster one worth discussion because if anyone is so sick with it that they need time to 'recover' then the jab is not a sensible option. I do feel we have all lost sight of what vaccinations actually do to us. I'm not an anti-vaxxer by the way.

Whoops, posted too soon.

...it will be very difficult for me to get to a jab clinic for a while afterwards. I rang my GP to see whether I could have it beforehand - because the most likely place for me to catch the virus will be in hospital - but no such luck.

My problem is that my knee replacement operation will be taking place three days before I'm eligible for the booster - and it will be very difficult for me to get to a jab clinic for

I’ve had message to go and I’m not due til end November?!!

Pammie1

Petera

Pammie1 I’ve seen so many threads accusing people of being irresponsible to question having the jab at all and now here we are criticising someone who’s actually thinking ahead to try to be responsible.

But it's not that is it? Medically it doesn't really matter if it's exactly six months. A month early, a month late will make no difference. But what we have is someone wasting the "girl's" (I know that was not OP’s terminology but it crept in) time by arguing that the rules, clearly posted on the government website, don’t apply to them.

How do the not rules apply to her ? I re-read her post and she was at 30 weeks when she tried to book the jab - by my reckoning that’s going on for 7 months, so even if the NHS is going on calendar months she was still more than eligible. I think the trouble here is that the government is advocating something that the NHS is having difficulty in delivering with any clarity.

If you re-read her post you will also see that she says herself she is not eligible until tomorrow. I've asked for this 30-week claim to be clarified but with no repsonse.

Polarbear2 - the person at the vaccine centre told me it is now 190 days - more muddle!!

I was offered my first jab when my husband (75) had his though I was just 69. Consequently I've had my 2nd and booster vaccine offers early too. Our GP practice is very efficient and texted me when we could book and we had it a couple of days over 6 calendar months.
My neighbour, much older than us but with a less efficient GP practice, has still not been able to book hers and now has had a terrible cold for over a week, postponing her booster further.
I really can't see why the NHS booking service can't take bookings once you've reached 6 months, considering how few people appear to have been at the centres when we, and people we know, attended. Surely they want to get as many people through as possible?
Incidentally the centres we were offered were not as convenient as for the first two jabs. To get to most of them we needed to drive. The local large centre has closed.

Petera

Pammie1 I’ve seen so many threads accusing people of being irresponsible to question having the jab at all and now here we are criticising someone who’s actually thinking ahead to try to be responsible.

But it's not that is it? Medically it doesn't really matter if it's exactly six months. A month early, a month late will make no difference. But what we have is someone wasting the "girl's" (I know that was not OP’s terminology but it crept in) time by arguing that the rules, clearly posted on the government website, don’t apply to them.

How do the not rules apply to her ? I re-read her post and she was at 30 weeks when she tried to book the jab - by my reckoning that’s going on for 7 months, so even if the NHS is going on calendar months she was still more than eligible. I think the trouble here is that the government is advocating something that the NHS is having difficulty in delivering with any clarity.

My granddaughter had her booster on Sunday. Her Mum booked it for her on the exact date of her 6 months.

I really cannot see the problem. My booster was due on October 20th (six months from my second vaccination, so I went onto the NHS booking website on the 19th but had 'not eligible' , then the next day on the 20th I went on again and was told I could book. So I booked! Had my booster on Monday. Yesterday I had the formal invititation to book from the NHS by text, so all so organised. My date was calculated in simple April 20th to October 20th terms.