My employer is paying for all staff that want one to get a flu jab. It’s going to cost them the better part of £1m but I guess the reduced sick days will benefit them.
Issue is you can’t get one. All major pharmacies seem to be out of stock and Drs are only doing vulnerable cases.
If any of you old so and so’s think you need a jab, I would start looking for one sooner rather than later!
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Wife and I had it in our GP surgery about two weeks ago. As over-65-ers, we got priority.
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Our surgery is doing over 65s, but not until November/December. Those vulnerable (includes us) have been told they should be able to do it a bit earlier. We'll see, because as mentioned, you can't get one for money elsewhere.
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I don't hit 65 until Spring next year. Contacted and provided by GP 3 weeks ago. Mrs FC who is marginally younger paid at Boots £6. She has a discount card and full price it would have been £12.99.
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Mrs JL and I got ours at Boots nearby on 19th September. We are both over 65 and were jabbed there last year. We had an invitation to have it done again and selected one of the first dates offered. Some time afterwards our local surgery started doing flu vaccinations.
In view of the problems that have arisen with vaccine supplies since, I'm glad we got it done when we did. SWMBO felt grotty for a few days afterwards and I had a sore arm, neither of which happened last year.
Last edited by: James Loveless on Tue 13 Oct 20 at 12:24
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The village GP surgery and conjoined pharmacy are working together on this.
As far as I can follow they've done the over 65s and are now starting on younger folks but allocating the first batches to vulnerable groups.
Although now 60 I don't think I'm particularly vulnerable in any way so happy to wait my turn.
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>> All major pharmacies seem to be out of stock and Drs are only doing vulnerable cases.
Have you checked your local supermarket (who have pharmacy facilities) eg, Tesco, Superdrug, Asda and Morrisons.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 13 Oct 20 at 12:44
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Some Asda's were doing drive thru flu jabs (motoring link!!)
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After several text reminders from our GPs the " district nurse " is coming to us to do our jabs.
She will be the first non family member in the house for the last six months +.
I am still being chased for an annual routine blood test but they insist I go to them.
I surprised them by supplying blood pressure readings from three devices plus oximeter readings from a couple of devices.
We are not worried well, some of the above devices are on long term free loan and the others we have owned for years.
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I had mine done last Saturday. The appointment was for a specific 3:12 pm with instructions to arrive only just before. Straight in and straight out again, with hoards of staff in the building directing everyone round a one way system, in at the front door and out the back with a sign telling everyone not to hang around outside afterwards.
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Very similar process for me last week.
I booked SWMBO and myself in consecutively, two minutes apart. We went through together and can't have spent more than 15 seconds with the nurse to do both of us.
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We had ours done at the GP surgery last Saturday week.
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>> I am still being chased for an annual routine blood test >>but they insist I go to them.
Henry. I've just looked on the website of our local pharmacy, and they have a phlebotomist who does home visits on a private basis. Perhaps your pharmacy will have this, too.
We had flu jabs at our surgery last Saturday, having been given a time slot +/- on minute. A slick efficient service.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Tue 13 Oct 20 at 14:33
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>> Henry. I've just looked on the website of our local pharmacy, and they have a
>> phlebotomist who does home visits on a private basis.
>>. Perhaps your pharmacy will have this, too.
>>
I will investigate.
It certainly would simplify things.
I need to have someone in the house if I am to go out.
The MoT has run out and the car is SORNed so no personal transport available.
My son will probably take my car and get the MoT done.
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Vulnerable groups, 2-5s, and 65+ being done now.
55-64 will be latter half of November.
If there is enough vaccine, 50-54 will be offered it in late Dec/early Jan.
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>> Vulnerable groups, 2-5s, and 65+ being done now.
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>> 55-64 will be latter half of November.
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>> If there is enough vaccine, 50-54 will be offered it in late Dec/early Jan.
Is that UK wide?
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>>Is that UK wide?
Health is devolved to the national administrations, so no - Scotland only.
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>> Health is devolved to the national administrations, so no - Scotland only.
That was what I thought.
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>> >> All major pharmacies seem to be out of stock and Drs are only doing
>> vulnerable cases.
>>
>> Have you checked your local supermarket (who have pharmacy facilities) eg, Tesco, Superdrug, Asda and
>> Morrisons.
>>
Tesco and I beleeive others are currently only taking bookings for those qualifying for free NHS vaccination. If you are in that category you can book now online although you may not get a slot until November.
Book online here
tesco-pharmacy.qudini.com
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NHS Scotland are doing the flu jabs in halls around the country except where the GP has opted out.
I have an appointment 22nd 5.30pm
My wife is 6.00pm on the 24th
2 x trips, 2 x queues - all for the sake of a sort on the data to give people at same address appts at or around the same time
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Having seen from this thread that as usual we seem to be getting the short end of the stick, I've just looked at the websites for local surgeries. Ours says as described, but others in local villages are saying "come on down, flu jabs galore".
So at least here, it seems to depend on the actual surgery, which is weird. Ours told over the phone to go away, it was all to do with Health England or whatever bizarre name is in charge of these things.
Oh well.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Tue 13 Oct 20 at 17:52
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Every year my surgery links up with two or three others to provide the flu jab for patients at a convenient venue (in our case a local church hall) over a two day period.
This was done over two days again this year (September 24th and 25th) with time slots allocated according to surnames in alphabetical order; you could arrive at any time during your time slot and follow a Covid safety route to a posse of local doctors' nurses to get the jab.
It works very well and I was in and out in about five minutes. The only disappointment was that, for the first time, the means to stay for a while afterwards for a cup of tea, a biscuit and a chat had to be dropped.
There seemed to be no shortage of available jabs even though these are graded on an age basis.
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We had no problems. We were asked to book online and we didn't hurry, we left it it few days but there were plenty of slots.
Our surgery was very well organised - they do them all on Saturdays when the surgery would otherwise be closed. There were four booths set up, each with a jabber and a runner, a one way system through, another person marshalling inside and one on car park duty. Walked in with sleeve rolled up as requested, name and address ticked, stabbed and out.
They said there was no shortage, they got what they ordered. But then I suppose there wouldn't be a shortage until they run out. I suspect the demand/response is higher because of circumstances and if that was under-forecasted when the ordering was done then there will be stock-outs.
As previously, I was a bit off colour for a couple of days and the area downstream of the jabbing site was warm to the touch for about 3 days. I guess it's designed to cause a reaction and it did.
Last edited by: Manatee on Tue 13 Oct 20 at 19:58
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Our surgery sent a message a few weeks back, and were stressing how important it is that we use the surgery rather than Tesco or ANO as they have your medical records, they are properly geared up for it, they have made allowance for me in their numbers blah blah.
They've not wanted much to do with me during the rest of the pandemic (and in fact have been really quite difficult over getting 3 months worth of repeat prescriptions for while I'm away) so I have no qualms about using Tesco, who have done me (for money - free this year!!) for the past few years.
The surgery seems to be sponsored (or maybe it's run by) Modality, as all the staff now have that across their name badges and it is on some of the website pages and elsewhere. I would say it's been worse since they changed but in all honesty it's always been pretty bad!!
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>> Our surgery sent a message a few weeks back, and were stressing how important it
>> is that we use the surgery rather than Tesco or ANO as they have your
>> medical records, they are properly geared up for it, they have made allowance for me
>> in their numbers blah blah.
>>
Apparently the surgery gets a bounty for administering flu jabs. Perhaps Lygonos can confirm?
Last edited by: zippy on Tue 13 Oct 20 at 20:24
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>> Apparently the surgery gets a bounty for administering flu jabs. Perhaps Lygonos can confirm?
>>
That was certainly my conclusion judging from the enthusiasm that mine applied to the task!
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GP practices have always been paid to give flu jags to the appropriate populations.
I think the value per jag is between ~£7.50 and £9 depending upon the percentage of each group you manage to cover (over 65s, and "under 65s at risk" iirc)
My practice has around 8500 patients and I think the income for vaccinating ~2200 each year is about 16 or 17 grand.
Less than 2% of total practice income but still worth the hassle administering.
I think this is the English "statement of financial entitlements" for GP payments - have a rummage if you're really bored.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790815/statement-of-financial-entitlements-amendments-directions-2019.pdf
(edit it appears to be the 2019 data amending the original version, ie updating the £ to take inflation into account)
Last edited by: Lygonos on Tue 13 Oct 20 at 21:49
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Our GP practice had a first come first served queueing system, with a start time for over 75s starting at 08.30 and the younger patients at 10.00. All outside - with underdressed pensioners huddled together in the pouring rain.
So much for social distancing of the at risk cohort.
Master plan to remove the low hanging fruit?
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>> All outside - with underdressed pensioners huddled together in the pouring rain.
Did you happen to notice if they were rounded in shape, with brown and black, long, soft fur, a very short tail, a stubby, hairy snout, short legs, and small ears?
>>Master plan to remove the low hanging fruit?
Gimme the money honey, says the business men in white coats.
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>> Our GP practice had a first come first served queueing system, with a start time
>> for over 75s starting at 08.30 and the younger patients at 10.00. All outside -
>> with underdressed pensioners huddled together in the pouring rain.
>>
>> So much for social distancing of the at risk cohort.
>>
>> Master plan to remove the low hanging fruit?
>>
I read that as undressed at first :o
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>> I read that as undressed at first :o
>>
...backside rather than arm....?
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Haha that made me think of this Smith & Jones snippet
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6IBiR9m3vY
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Flu Jabs - Ambo
