DH - tried - to get a flu jab

The flu jab system in my area is a disaster zone! People have been sent letters for appointments that were for days prior or they’ve not had letters at all. Now, the people who missed out or had late letters are being told to turn up on the days when other people, like my Dh and me, already have appointments booked.

And if you’ve got an appointment you can‘t attend, there’s a number to call to rebook except that yesterday, they changed the number but unless you happen to be on Facebook you won’t know that.

I just hope it isn’t going to be raining on Friday as I suspect we might have a long wait outside.

Thanks everyone

Some posters seem to have the idea that pharmacies charge everyone for the vaccination service.

They don’t. If you’re entitled to a free jab at the surgery, you pay nothing at a pharmacy either.

No conspiracy theories required!

Didn’t realise how lucky Dh and I were. I phoned surgery in the morning for a pneumonia jab . Got an appointment that afternoon. No one at all in the waiting room. Went in at appointed time and had the jabs. The nurse asked if we wanted out flu jabs while we were there. Yes please. All done in 10 mins.

Our GP practice are very good. I had a recent telephone Asthma review with a nurse practioner. During the conversation I mentioned something that was concerning me; the Nurse arranged for a telephone consultation with a GP within a day. Had the telephone consultation and the GP decided that I needed to be seen in person and arranged for an appointment the same afternoon.
Naturally, we have to wait outside until they phone our mobiles - ok if you're in a car, not so if you walk there - otherwise a great service in extremely difficult circumstances! GP's, Nurses, HCA's and reception staff are only human, they have families too and deserve to be able to protect themselves and others!

I find our GP's service lacking. We got Flu jabs at Boots but a couple of days after we got our appointment they stopped taking anymore. Despite living in a Tier-3 area the hosptial clinics and appointments have been there if needed and precautions excellent.

Some GP facities are very good and some not so good. We have good Doctors and not so patient friendly facilities.

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.

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

Mine was exactly the same as yours polldolly.

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.

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.☹️

your

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

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