"Problems with 2nd Covid vaccination"

You simply couldn’t make it up, could you?

I fully appreciate that the vaccination programme has been a mammoth undertaking and that everyone is trying their best to make it work as smoothly as possible under very difficult circumstances. But, sad to say, there are some serious and ongoing problems with the NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland systems for being offered a second COVID-19 vaccination

This is what has happened to me:

I’m in Category 4 and so did get a letter from NHS Scotland offering me my first appointment in early February, which, of course, I attended. Having carefully read the NHS Scotland info about 2nd vaccinations, I was expecting to be offered another appointment 12 weeks after my first one. This did not happen. And so I phoned the NHS Lothian Vaccination Helpline at the end of April as my 2nd jab was due that Monday. .

I have now been phoning the Helpline off and on for the past 2 weeks and getting the run around. However, the people fielding my Helpline calls have all been as helpful as they could be, polite, sympathetic and understanding. And I also understand that this glitch has affected lots of other people too.

During a call to the NHS Lothian COVID Vaccination Helpline (0300 690 6296) (the Helpline) and was told my 1st appointment had been missed in the system and had therefore not linked to the 2nd jab appointment system. The link would now be made and then someone will phone me back with an appointment time. If this didn’t happen soon, I should call the Helpline back again.

No word, so three days later I phoned the Helpline again. Was then told an appointment would be generated by that weekend. But, again told, that if this didn’t happen, I should call back again.

No word so as instructed, phoned back after the weekend. Was told my 2nd appointment had been flagged and was now with the Analytic Team but Helpline staff still waiting for answers. Suggested I call back after the weekend.

As instructed phoned again. When I asked how I’d got lost in the system was told they had no idea. The issue was still with the Analytics Team . Suggested I could try calling every day from now on.

Phoned again two days later – was told they would look @ the system. I asked where the Analytics Team were based and was told they are part of NHS Lothian . The person I spoke to said they would check with their Team Leader who would call me.

No word, so called Helpline again the next again day, and asked what’s happening at the Analytics Team? They said they’d email their Manager. Also that the Pfizer vaccine was in short supply. They also suggested I call my GP to ask if they could put me onto the clinically vulnerable pathway. So called GP practice – medical administrator checked with Practice Manager – nothing they can do to help. Then tried Helpline again but hung up after 10 minutes on hold.

Helpline then called me back - offered jab @ a mass vaccination centre far away from me. Explained don’t have a car and public transport access is very difficult for me. They suggested NHS Lothian could pay for a taxi there and back later that afternoon. They would call me back about this. Didn’t hear anymore…..

The very next morning, the postie delivered a letter from NHS Scotland stating that their records show that I did not attend my first COVID-19 vaccination appointment.

You simply couldn’t make it up, could you?

Straight away, I phoned the NHS Scotland COVID -19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013. The person I spoke to said they would escalate to their Team Leader who would call me back. Also told NHS Scotland can’t help re the NHS Lothian vaccination programme problems. No phone call from NHS Scotland. No surprise there, really…

The next morning, I phoned the NHS Helpline to tell them about the letter from NHS Scotland about 1st Jab. It’s been flagged as a “technical issues”. I asked why it can’t be flagged as a human issue. Asked what I can now do? They would talk to today’s Team Leader.

Someone I assume was the Team Leader called me later that day saying I should get a call over this weekend or Monday offering me a 2nd appointment. But if this doesn’t happen, I should call the helpline again on Tuesday.

Still waiting for that call a day later. And don’t dare see the children until I’ve had that precious 2nd jab….. which is now almost 3 weeks overdue. This has all been very distressing. But have finally got to the end of my tether and hope someone can get on top of the technical problems asap and sort this out for me and all the other folks still stuck in the system. After all, we each have a unique identifying NHS number don’t we?

And maybe it would be kinder to flag the delays and problems with 2nd jabs on the NHS Lothian COVID-Hub website rather than letting us find out about them the hard, time consuming and frustrating way.