Good evening,
I am at the tail end of group 4, I received my letter at midday sat and logged straight onto the nhs.uk site. It asks where you want to go for the jab and gives a list starting with the closest. It gives you the first 5 days available so I chose monday. It then says am or pm and as the car was booked for MOT in the am I chose pm. It then gives you the first times available so I took the first one at 1405. Then same process for second jab which is now booked for apr 27th at 1425.
Took car for MOT and then walked to daughters. She took me to Crawley hospital vaccination centre where I queued for about 20 mins. Called to a cubicle where they ask a few questions then had to wait while the nurse on the computor went off to make an enquiry about me with the doctor. I'm allurgic to aspirin but that was fine and the other very nice young lady stuck a needle in my arm and that was it.
Quite a few of the vaccinators were RAMC but on questioning mine was aircrew cabin staff. They all receive medical training, some higher level than others. Being furloughed at the moment she volunteered to give jabs when the request went out.
All who said they had driven themselves were asked to wait 15 mins before leaving. The remainder were released straight away.
Now OH is moaning because she is waiting for hers still. Unfortunately, she is group 5.
I believe wastage is kept to a minimum. At Crawley they only get x no of doses out at one time, astra zeneca in this instance. But I have read several reports of left over vaccine. The first I saw said they had 3 doses left at the end of the day. So someone went out and grabbed some nearby police officers who got theirs done early. Another report, by a doctor, said they were throwing away 3 or more doses at the end of every day. He said that if that was repeated at all 300 or so centres that was far too much wastage. It would seem to me that his crew need to sort themselves out and make more effort not to waste it but grab anyone nearby who requires it.
John915
