Scottish Conservative MSP Brian Whittle has urged the Scottish Government to improve the delivery of the Covid booster scheme amid reports of people being unable to find any available appointment in their health board or being sent to centres at the opposite end of the health board area.
During First Minister’s Questions, the South Scotland MSP highlighted the case of constituent who had tried to book an appointment on the day the online system went live, only to find that none seemed to be available anywhere right the way into January. While that case has subsequently been resolved, Brian says he’s heard of other people being offered vaccinations in centres 25 miles from their home rather than the one in their home town.
Brian believes the online system is too complicated and new appointments aren’t being loaded onto the system quickly enough. The online system asks you to select your preferred vaccination centre in your health board. You then have to check each available day on a calendar to see if there are any appointments. If there aren’t any at that venue, you have to pick another and start again to see if that one has any appointments. Since new appointments are being added intermittently, there’s no way to know when appointments at any particular venue might become available.
Brian Whittle MSP said “Delivering these booster jabs is massively important to protect us all through the winter and avoid more significant Covid measures.
With more people now eligible for boosters, younger people getting second jabs and a flu vaccination programme happening at the same time, we’re in danger of the system becoming too complicated for people to navigate.
The Scottish Government need to look again at the online booking system and how they’re communicating with those eligible for boosters to ensure that it’s as easy as possible for them to get an appointment in a convenient location.
While some people might not have a problem travelling from Troon to Largs for their jab, it’s still a 50 mile round trip.
We need everyone who’s eligible for a vaccination to get one and that means the Scottish Government need to find ways to simplify the system and avoid putting people off.”
