Apologies offered after mix-up sees patients wrongly invited to Covid vaccination clinic in Wellington

Phil Jackson, who is a patient at Charlton Medical Centre, received a text message yesterday saying that any patient aged 65 and over who was registered with the Oakengates surgery could attend a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination clinic at Wellington Medical Practice either yesterday or today.

It told him to turn up between 10am and 4pm on either day and to present the text message.

But the 65-year-old says when he turned up at the Wellington practice, in Chapel Lane, today he queued for more than half-an-hour before being turned away and told it had been a mistake.

Phil, of St Georges, Telford, said: "I received the text message at 3.35pm yesterday so there wasn't enough time to go then, so I went this morning. "I was quite excited to think I could get it.

"It said just turn up between 10am and 4pm, so I went at about 9.45am and found 50 to 60 people stood in a queue.

"I was waiting over half-an-hour and then got told it was a mistake and that Charlton patients shouldn't have gone today.

"There wasn't just me, others from Charlton were being turned away too."

A further text message was sent out to Mr Jackson today to apologise for the error.

It said: "Further to the text message sent to you yesterday, please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused due to a mix up with the vaccination days.

"Unfortunately the walk-in clinic at Wellington Medical Practice was only available for Thursday and not Friday as stated.

"Please be reassured we will contact you again once further vaccines become available.

"This will hopefully be within the next couple of weeks, again we apologise for the confusion this has caused Charlton Medical Centre."