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On Monday, the NHS was forced to rewrite hundreds of thousands of letters inviting people for vaccines. More than 130,000 letters already sent to over-80s were criticised by MPs and council leaders after failing to make it clear that anyone who preferred not to travel to a super centre could still receive the vaccine via their GP at a later date.
The messages sparked concern among elderly and vulnerable people who believed they would miss out on a vaccination unless they travelled up to 40 miles from their homes. “People were on the phone to me over the weekend in tears,” said Shaun Davies, the leader of Telford and Wrekin Council.
On Monday night, a senior NHS source said 500,000 more letters due to be sent this week would be reworded to make it clear that people unable to make the journey would still be offered a jab by their family doctor. “They will be redone before going out,” the source said.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, questioned why services were being set up on an 8am to 8pm basis given the nature of the virus crisis.
In a speech in London, he called for “a really round-the-clock vaccine programme, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in every village and every town, in every high street and every GP surgery”.
Downing Street said on Monday that there was currently “no clamour” for appointments late at night or in the morning, with most appointments currently targeted at those aged 80 and over, but ministers said they would consider offering such time slots if it helped them speed up the programme as it is rolled out more widely.
