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COVID vaccine letters

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  • \i'm seeing it from the other side as I am involved in the administration of our local surgery's vaccination clinic.  So here are some observations.....

    Our surgery made a conscious decision to phone people to make appointments to receive the vaccine, rather than send letters, or wait for the letters to be sent out centrally.  This was partly due to  cost (2nd class stamp, letter and envelope +clerk's time) but also because they decided that they would not make an appointment unless they were certain that there was a vaccine available for it.  I've heard of no-end of people who were booked in at other local clinics and then were turned away because the centre had run out of vaccine.  The time between confirmation of number, delivery of vaccine and actual vaccination is short - usually less than a week, so another reason for making phone calls.   We are also working age downwards as per the government's list of cohorts - but please bear in mind that the lower the age group, the more people there are in it! 

    There is a document on Gov.uk  which lists those conditions which it deems are clinically extremely vulnerable.

    But the biggest problem we have encountered is being able to contact people in the first place.  Many phones just ring, or go straight to answerphone.  We can't make an appointment unless you answer...!
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  • JGB1955
    JGB1955 Posts: 3,901 Forumite
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    We're in 'tier 5' for vaccinations (66 and 67).  Had a phone call from our surgery yesterday - first jab on Monday, second on 19 April.  My husband said that he was surprised it was so quick but, apparently, all over 70's in our practice have been 'done'!  Well done to them.
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  • BooJewels
    BooJewels Posts: 3,006 Forumite
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    But the biggest problem we have encountered is being able to contact people in the first place.  Many phones just ring, or go straight to answerphone.  We can't make an appointment unless you answer...!
    When my husband got the call earlier this week, the first thing she said was "I'm really glad to catch you in" and he wondered if she was striking out and she said he was the first answer she'd had that morning, she dialled several calls for every one answered.  We thought that was a surprising statistic, considering the current situation - especially as she was actually ringing people on the CEV list.  Obviously they're not all quite as enthusiastic as we are about hiding.  Although I do fully appreciate that not everyone can do that.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
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    In our locality vaccination programme has gone far better than planned. As a consequence the 2nd jabs for front line NHS staff are being brought forward. 
  • JGB1955
    JGB1955 Posts: 3,901 Forumite
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    We haven't  been to the doctors in the last 5 years so it was only chance that they managed to contact us on our landline..a number we are considering disconnecting due to lack of use/need. Our GP doesn't  know our emails or mobile phone numbers..until now there has been no need for them to have that information.  I was expecting a letter in the post, hence my surprise at the phone call.
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  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 49,934 Ambassador
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    In our locality vaccination programme has gone far better than planned. As a consequence the 2nd jabs for front line NHS staff are being brought forward. 
    I’m quite amazed at that, we have doctors doing the vaccines who aren’t allowed their second jab. Even when there is the odd vaccine left at the end of the day we have to scurry around looking for people who haven’t had their first vaccine rather than use them to give anyone seconds.
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  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
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    silvercar said:
    In our locality vaccination programme has gone far better than planned. As a consequence the 2nd jabs for front line NHS staff are being brought forward. 
    I’m quite amazed at that, we have doctors doing the vaccines who aren’t allowed their second jab. Even when there is the odd vaccine left at the end of the day we have to scurry around looking for people who haven’t had their first vaccine rather than use them to give anyone seconds.
    Probably down to local demographics and the fact that the largest GP practice is also under direct NHS control and supervision. Resulting in a far better coordinated response. With multiple venues available for people to chose from. 
  • gt94sss2
    gt94sss2 Posts: 6,220 Forumite
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    edited 5 February 2021 at 11:35PM
    In our area, we have been told that all those over 70s or Clinically Extremely Vulnerable can now book appointments at one of the mass vaccination centres without having received  a letter via www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination - so if anyone falls in these categories and doesn't want to wait for their GP, it may be worth trying.
    My parents have been contacted 3 times, once by the GP, once by a hospital as well as getting the NHS letter..




  • GaleSF63
    GaleSF63 Posts: 1,542 Forumite
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    BooJewels said:
    But the biggest problem we have encountered is being able to contact people in the first place.  Many phones just ring, or go straight to answerphone.  We can't make an appointment unless you answer...!
    When my husband got the call earlier this week, the first thing she said was "I'm really glad to catch you in" and he wondered if she was striking out and she said he was the first answer she'd had that morning, she dialled several calls for every one answered.  We thought that was a surprising statistic, considering the current situation - especially as she was actually ringing people on the CEV list.  Obviously they're not all quite as enthusiastic as we are about hiding.  Although I do fully appreciate that not everyone can do that.
    If it was anything like our surgery, they rarely ring for long enough for you to get to the phone, and as they use numbers that aren't advertised as well as the known one, you don't know who it was. I was very lucky to be right by the phone when they called me - I usually miss it. 
  • BooJewels
    BooJewels Posts: 3,006 Forumite
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    That's a good point @GaleSF63 - by definition, at the moment at least, everyone they're ringing is either advanced in years, or likely to be poorly.  Likewise, my husband had the phone next to him when they rang, as he'd just made a call, so I don't know long it might have been left to ring.
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