‘Please be patient’. That’s the message from one York GP this evening, after surgeries in the city have been hit by a surge in calls from people waiting for the vaccine.
Dr Abbie Brooks, a GP at Priory Medical Group in York, reassured people that ‘no one will be forgotten’.
It comes in the week when patients within Cohort 6 and 7 are now being invited for the vaccine.
This group includes
- people aged over 60
- people who are clinically vulnerable aged between 16 and 64
- those in receipt of carers allowance
- or people who are the main carer of an elderly/disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.
It’s a large group, and work is ongoing to invite everyone in it for their vaccination. Some people due a jab are yet to be contacted.
‘Not all invites have been sent’
York GP-led vaccination services are focusing initially on the clinically vulnerable in their area, including those with long-term conditions.
This means some younger people with underlying health conditions may be offered a local appointment before some in the 60-69 age group.
This does not mean anyone has been missed, and everyone will hear directly from the NHS when it’s their turn.
Dr Brooks said: “We are working extremely hard to make sure that we reach those people most at risk within each cohort.
“Currently we are receiving a high volume of calls to primary care from patients wanting the Covid-19 vaccine, and I we would like to reassure patients that if you have a condition in the identified clinical risk groups we will contact you when the time is right and you won’t be forgotten or missed.
“There is a large number of patients within Cohort 6 and we are working through them as quickly and safely as possible.
“If you receive a text invite please keep checking the link until an appointment is available and if the link expires, do not be concerned – you will be sent a further text in due course.
“Not all invites have been sent so please be patient.”
Working incredibly hard
Dr Nigel Wells, from the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The NHS in in our area is working incredibly hard to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination.
“I would like to thank everyone working to support the programme – from volunteers to vaccinators and many others – as well as the wider public for their continued support and understanding.
“This immense local effort across the York and North Yorkshire health and care system has led to the rapid rollout of the programme across our communities.”
There are several ways in which patients can keep up to date with the latest vaccine information from their GP practice including checking their surgery’s website and social media pages.