Dozens of GP practices in England opt out of Covid vaccine rollout

[Northerner]

More than 100,000 patients will not be able to get the Covid vaccine from their family doctor after their GP surgeries decided not to take part in its deployment, the Guardian can reveal.

Dozens of GP practices in England have chosen not to join the NHS’s coronavirus vaccination programme amid concerns their workloads are already too heavy, they have too few staff and that patients could suffer if practices have to cut back other services so doctors can administer the injections.

Their reluctance to inoculate patients threatens to overshadow the start of the second phase of the vaccine rollout, which is due to start next week, with GPs taking part for the first time.

The Guardian has established that a number of practices in Manchester, Sussex, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the Thames Valley have opted out of the programme. The local NHS will have to arrange for patients registered at those surgeries to be vaccinated elsewhere.

Dozens of GP practices in England opt out of Covid vaccine rollout

Exclusive: more than 100,000 patients will have to get jab elsewhere as GPs say they lack capacity to take part

www.theguardian.com

 

[Sutherland53]

This makes my blood boil surgery have to observe patients for 15 minutes now in case of allergic reactions which obviously presents logistical problems and mainly cuts the GPS massive bonus paid for every patient inoculated

 

[nonethewiser]

Not surprising is it. Mrs gp surgery once had 6 drs about same nurses, despite increase in patient numbers now down to 1 full time dr & one part time, with 3 nurses left. Most phone appointments done by drs living outside county. Recruitment issue in lots of areas, so where they have time to roll out vaccine is anyone's guess.

Premises could be used out of hours by personnel trained in administering injection.

 

[Amigo]

I think GP surgeries need to carefully assess their own capacity to take this on and I actually respect those who are mindful of neglecting other work and priorities to do this. During this year, like many cancer patients, health care generally has been massively reduced/unavailable. My GP surgery has stepped into the breach and I’m grateful to them. However, even the flu inoculations stretched them so if there are dedicated centres set up offering safe administration of the Covid vaccine, I’ve no problem with that.

 

[grovesy]

Not suprised either.
My surgery for about 2 weeks in this last lockdown had to suspended its Dispensing services as it had so many dispensing staff off or isolating. Also complete closed one of the 2 surgeries too !
Also they had a notice on the website this week with information for the hospital vaccination, protocol at the hospital 15 miles away, and the same day, the system was already closed as all slots had been allocated.

 

[Northerner]

I'm wondering if they can't do the jab at my local surgery they will use the Harrogate Nightingale. Not everyone can easily get to a vaccination centre if it's several miles away

 

[grovesy]

I'm wondering if they can't do the jab at my local surgery they will use the Harrogate Nightingale. Not everyone can easily get to a vaccination centre if it's several miles away

No the fact the Hospital being used here is 15 miles away, we have a one 4 miles and it is larger enough to have a Helipad for the Air Ambulance, I often see them circling from back garden. Some areas seem to be using one surgery as a hub for vaccinations. It will be interesting to see what happens here most of the surgeries are not large of central. There is one in the grounds of Sainsbury's that was till they closed it a walk -in centre, and the car parking nearer to it is now taken over by click and collect.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I've just seen a statement on my GP practice website that 5 surgery's are teaming up to hold vaccination clinics at the biggest medical centre and to make sure that you can get to the clinic as it will be held at the weekend so as not to interfere with the general working of the medical centre. They have 975 vaccines and over 3000 to be done as a top priority. Letters will be sent out to those on the first call up list. The surgery's cover roughly a 40 mile radius.

 

[grovesy]

Mine has no information on the GP program yet.

 

[trophywench]

I fully expect our GP surgery will have an even longer recorded message telling us not to ring them and ask about the vaccine cos the NHS will inform us each personally when and where they want us to go. Takes ages to listen to, every time you happen to need to ring them before you can even get to the Press I for the doctors surgery, 2 for the dentists (that really annoys me, 2 - if you want the ruddy dentist why ring the ruddy doctors in the first place? aaarrgghh) 3 for test results (which they'll only deign to give you by phone on a Tuesday between the hours of X & Y) 4 for the automated attendant (which tells you it doesn't work any more and just cuts you off) etc.

Don't try and press 1 to save running up a phone bill the size of the National debt, before it's ready for you to press it, else it just gets terribly confused.

 

[mikeydt1]

ours has message about people not ringing to ask for the vaccine then goes on to waffle about the virus then be blown carries on again. by the time you get through after that session the usual no appointments no wonder it takes too long with all the jibber chatter.

i have checked on ours and no mention of doing vaccines and if they did don't think i wouldn't be able to have it with allergy background. should of added after the jibber it can then all result in the phones crashing with too many people trying to get through.