GPs plead for patience as Shropshire prepares to speed up booster jab programme
Health officials say they will consider all options as they look to accelerate the booster jab operation in Shropshire - but have urged people not to contact their GP to book their vaccination.
The Government has announced plans to significantly speed up its booster programme in the wake of concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
And county health officials have asked the public to exercise patience in waiting to find out when they will receive their booster as they work out how to meet demand.
Earlier this year Shropshire's vaccination programme was aided by the use of several large vaccination centres – at Telford International Centre, Shrewsbury Indoor Bowling Centre, and Ludlow Racecourse.
Those centres were shut down and the sites are back operating in their pre-pandemic mode.
Dr Charlotte Hart, GP Partner at Radbrook Green Surgery and Clinical Director of Shrewsbury Primary Care Network, has said discussions are currently taking place over how to accelerate the booster programme in line with Government ambitions.
She said: "It is good news that the Government has expanded the booster programme and it was something that was on the horizon anyway, but obviously has been brought forward because of concerns about Omicron – but announcing it and actually being able to start delivering it are two separate things.
"At the moment the NHS locally is working hard to work out how we are going to do this. It takes a little bit of time, we cannot just magic up extra capacity.
"It is going to take a week or two and in the meantime we know people want to get protected – which is great, we want them to keep that feeling going – but please do not get in touch with us until we get in touch with you.
"You will get a text or a letter inviting you to book your jab and it will have all the details about how to do that."
Dr Hart said she was concerned that calls from people trying to book jabs when they are not available would impact on other sick people trying to get hold of GPs.
She said: "Please do not telephone GPs' surgeries to try and book because they are not doing the booking themselves, but also if telephone lines are taken up by people telephoning about booster jabs poorly people cannot get through and we need poorly people to be able to get through."
She added: "I know everyone wants to get more information or to get it booked but calling your GP will not be helpful."
Dr Hart said that while capacity with community pharmacy to provide jabs has increased, discussions would still be needed over whether dedicated booster sites will be needed.
She said: "The system is looking at what capacity everyone can give and if we need to set up centres like we had last time."
Steve Ellis, Deputy Senior Responsible Officer, Covid Vaccination Service for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said they would examine "all different options" to work out to best meet demands.
He said: “The NHS is having to work at extreme pace to respond to this new variant and to put in place the next and most complex phase of the successful Covid-19 vaccination programme.
“Following updated guidance from the JCVI today, the NHS will shortly set out how staff will expand the booster programme – this will include how booster jabs will be given in priority order so that the most vulnerable people are protected first, while also increasing capacity to vaccinate millions more people in a shorter space of time.
“Locally, in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin we are exploring all different options to ensure that we can roll-out boosters to everyone who is eligible by the end of January.
“The NHS will contact you when you are due to book in for your lifesaving booster vaccination, and when you get the call, it’s vital that people come forward as quickly as possible.”
A spokesman for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System (ICS), said: "Please note that we are aware of the latest Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice around Covid-19 vaccines shared by Sajid Javid.
"We are waiting for confirmation from NHS England regarding local roll-out and we will make the appropriate changes to our operations as soon as we are able to.
"In the meantime, please be patient and continue to check the details on our website for any updates on the eligibility around vaccines. Please do not attend clinics for a booster vaccination unless you are age 40 plus or in a higher risk group and eligible – at least 182 days after your second jab – for a vaccination.
"Please do not contact your GP surgery about the latest vaccination programme developments, this will allow primary care to continue with their day-to-day work and free the phone lines up for those that have an urgent need to contact their surgery."
