Covid 19 NHS Vaccination Letter To Over 80's Formby Ainsdale & Birkdale

[tonyB]

I have been contacted by a number of people who are very confused and upset after receiving a letter from the NHS inviting them to phone for a Covid 19 vaccination. They are then offered an appointment in St Helen's. If you have received this letter you do not have to reply and can wait to be contacted by the local Hub at Ainsdale.

This St Helen's vaccination Centre is one of 10 Mass Vaccination Centres opening tomorrow around the country to accelerate the number of vaccinations made.

Below is a message posted yesterday, Saturday 16th January 2021 from the Ainsdale Medical Centre which gives you some background information and progress which I hope will explain the situation for you.

"We are aware that patients aged 80+ are receiving letters from NHS inviting them to go for a Covid 19 vaccination at the new mass vaccination centre in St Helen’s. We weren’t aware these letters were being sent out but it is a good thing that extra capacity is being made available.The St Helens centre is being run entirely separately from the GP clinics and we have no visibility of their clinic dates nor the process for booking in - other than patients are asked to call 119.

We have now vaccinated approx 40% of our 80+ patients (approx 1100 patients at this surgery and 5000+ across our Ainsdale Birkdale and Formby area). We realistically expect to have completed this age group by the end of January at the very latest. More clinics are planned towards the end of this week (the appointments are not available to book yet but will be by Tuesday ) and in the week following that.

If patients are able to get to St. Helens and they are offering appointments before we can then they are free to do so but it’s important to note that nobody will have to travel that far if they don’t want to. If patients do decide to travel to St. Helens then they do not need to call the surgery to tell us. Your GP record is updated automatically within approx 24 hours so that we are aware that you have been vaccinated.

Although this is possibly confusing for patients ( and general practice staff also ) it is overwhelmingly a good thing that more vaccination capacity is coming on stream. We will do our best to keep on publishing information when we can to make sure patients know how to get their vaccination.

it is important though that people don’t call their GP surgeries as the staff are dealing with extremely high volumes of calls as well as going out to staff the centre at Sandbrook Road Ainsdale during clinic days. Thanks to all our patients for continuing to be so supportive of our endeavours when we know that everyone is so keen to get their vaccination as soon as they can."

[silver fox]

Appreciate attempts to increase the uptake of vaccinations, but surely someone should have thought this through, over 80s will have a higher than average of non or given up drivers, getting to St Helens by any other means is not the easiest thing in the world under current constraints, particularly for the elderly.

[tonyB]

If you read the Post this is a extra service to take the pressure off the local vaccination centre for people who are happy and able to travel and want the vaccination as soon as possible.

"If patients are able to get to St. Helens and they are offering appointments before we can then they are free to do so but it’s important to note that nobody will have to travel that far if they don’t want to."

Seems to me nice to have a choice, wait a bit longer or travel a bit further if you can.

[Alikado]

It seems like a recipe for disaster, they have been vaccinating in Southport at Hoghton St. It looked like a rare success story unfolding but things like this cause confusion and it is starting to look like a bidding war on TV every body out promising the previous. Let's hope they are not over promising and the dominoes don't start tumbling.

[silver fox]

If you read the Post this is a extra service to take the pressure off the local vaccination centre for people who are happy and able to travel and want the vaccination as soon as possible.

"If patients are able to get to St. Helens and they are offering appointments before we can then they are free to do so but it’s important to note that nobody will have to travel that far if they don’t want to."

Seems to me nice to have a choice, wait a bit longer or travel a bit further if you can.

I opened my post by saying I appreciate the attempt to uptake the vaccinations, but how many over 80s fancy a trip to St Helens under the current conditions?