The confusion in messaging over COVID booster vaccinations on the Isle of Wight has been branded a ‘train crash’ by a local councillor.
Expressing a shared frustration of many Islanders, Councillor Clare Mosdell, the Isle of Wight Council’s former health and social care cabinet member, has said people have lost faith with the vaccine rollout programme.
Speaking at Monday’s health and social care scrutiny committee meeting, Cllr Mosdell congratulated health partners on the first part of the vaccine rollout but called the most recent third dose rollout a train crash.
When trying to book a booster for her husband, Cllr Mosdell said it took 3 weeks and checking the national booking system at all hours of the day for a slot at the Riverside Centre to become available.
She said:
“We need some assurance … there has been complete confusion. It is going to take a huge amount of communication for faith to be restored with people getting their vaccination.”
Managing director of the NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Alison Smith, apologised for the confusion and admitted they needed to do better.
Ms Smith did say, however, there were staffing challenges on the Island but a roving mobile vaccination service would be available over the coming weekend.
Dr Matt Nisbet, the clinical lead for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Covid vaccination programme, also apologised for any ‘poor experiences’ residents had had.
He said one of the difficulties with the booster rollout was it is more complicated than the beginning of the programme, when things were set up to be more simple.
It was ‘quite more complex’, he said, with different vaccines for different people and varying wait times between doses.
Extra capacity was already in place, Dr Nisbet said, for booster vaccines for those over 40 before Christmas but following the announcement yesterday afternoon that everyone over 18 would be offered a booster, work has started to fit more in.
A motion was unanimously approved by the scrutiny committee, as a result of the ongoing accessibility concerns, to urgently call on the CCG to provide ‘clear, realistic, consistent and relevant’ information about jabs and how to book them and asked that Healthwatch Isle of Wight be consulted.
I thought Riverside was walk in no appointment needed. I rang my local Dr’s they did a whole day of vaccination.
WE tried to book our Booster 3 weeks ago and the earliest slot was for the 1st Dec
We went to Westridge centre on the day our 6 month was up after second Jab and we
got the Booster in 10 mins NO PROBLEM !!!
I need a booster have been checking online for an appointment at least 3-4 times a day for 3 weeks. Got one at Riverside, then realise I’m visiting family on the mainland that weekend. Still not got an appointment, it appears trying a walk-in is the only hope, as I hear some people are successful, but others get turned away.
I prefer to follow the rules, perhaps that’s the problem with being British.
Forget the rules, phone your gp, despite the advice not to, most people get an appointment.
Yes you need to book via your doctor. The online site is useless, always sending you off the island.
Just proves the point the Islands resources are at breaking point, IW Planning Officers take note…
But no, we all know they won’t!!
Can’t even book a second vaccine on the island, have to travel to the mainland for it.
If you’re eligible for a vaccination you’ll be sent a text asking you to book an appointment. Failing that, why not use the walk-in service? Yes, you might have to wait but that’s going to be quicker and less expensive than travelling to the mainland.
Well folk’s once our amazing planning committee keep allowing building think how much more difficult it will be ?!?!
Councillor s need to stand up and be counted….
Flu jab covid jab booster jab etc ….
About time the Big Brown Envelope got investigated ??????
We need some assurance … there has been complete confusion. – only on her part. she wouldn’t have said a word, if she could have got what she wanted immediately.
as this injection doesn’t prevent you getting covid or transmitting it, it is not a vaccine or an immunisation – it is a treatment offered to potentially reduce the symptoms of covid and nothing else.
Exactly…but sheep thumbs love too give a downer!! Pred.everyone thinks thyre never gona get it…you are!
just goes to show the level of ignorance – people down voting a factual comment – you just can beat stupid
Just the same woman for whom planning rules don’t apply, the only lack of confidence i have is in her and her idiot friends.
Like others I went round in circles trying to get my 3rd jab.
Eventually Riverside became available and I got an online appt eventually.
However I bit the bullet last Friday, jumped on the hovercraft and walked in to Golds Pharmacy in Southsea and was done in 5 minutes.
I cancelled my appointment at Riverside and gained 10 days….giving NHS some protection too!
I saw a comment recently from the Island health telling us NOT to do what I did……..I wonder why?
NHS has been bombarding me with txt messages to get done even though I have everything.
NHS require a root and branch reform its broken!
You do realise that you can simply turn up for the walk-in service? Yes, you’ll probably be in a queue but how long did you spend travelling to Southsea and back?
Spoke at length this morning to a NHS 119 operator. Riverside in Newport I was told is fully booked, so it will not show up on the NHS Vaccination website. I was told to keep checking, as they shift their backlog, more appointments will be available to book online. So if we enter an island postcode and Riverside have slots available, it will allow numbers to book. Hopefully more outlets will open up here on the island so everyone can get their jab. Good luck. Keep trying.
We are supposed to wait until we are called by the NHS. I had the text today and booked it no problem at westridge with nearly all day everyday available. I think her ladyship probably feels that because she is former health and social care cabinet member she is entitled to get hers before everyone else. Get a life woman be patient it will happen just wait your turn.
There’s shouldn’t be no booking once eligible keep the doors open 24/ 7
perhaps you should volunteer to work all night then molly – seeing as you expect the existing staff to work around the clock, irrespective of their contracted hours.
You’ve got to love a double negative in a sentence.
We are in care, have two elderly clients that are both bed-bound, both are 6 weeks over 6 months to receive their Booster Vaccinations. Only their Ventnor GP Practice will carry out, have been made aware on numerous occasions. including today that they really want/need them + Flu jabs! However they are ‘on a list’ – they hope to get out before Christmas, but are short-staffed etc. and just concentrating on walk-in booked appointments for people that can come to the Surgeries. What are bed-bound people supposed to do?
This is no different than the previous rollout, the online booking system is run by Solent NHS trust, the booking system was rubbish then and its rubbish now, despite their promises last time to sort it. Just phone your gp, nothing to lose except a forty minute wait and being admonished by a Rotweiler receptionist.
I have had no problems at all with any of the jabs, last time I though about time for a flu one booked it for an hour later, ‘Did I want a booster at the same time’ yes please, rang the better half who was out shopping to tell her about the flu one as she had already had her booster, ‘Thanks but I have just had one in the sainsbury chemist’ This is just another councillor having a dig because she never got special treatment.