People across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight who are unable to attend or no longer need their COVID-19 appointment are asked to cancel to free up slots for the lifesaving jab.
Almost 2,000 slots were missed at the mass vaccination centres at St James’s Hospital, Portsmouth, Oakley Road, Southampton and Riverside on the Isle of Wight in the last week alone.
The real figure is likely to be far higher as this does not include missed COVID-19 appointment slots at GP practices across the region, which record the data individually.
The NHS is asking eligible people to come forward as soon as they are invited to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and wherever possible is encouraging those who have booked appointments to attend. However, if anyone has made an appointment that they are then unable to attend for any reason, they are asked to cancel or change their booking as soon as possible to free up the slot for other people awaiting their COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr Matt Nisbet, GP Partner and Clinical Lead of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said:
“We know that eligible people are keen to get vaccinated as soon as possible. We are working hard to scale up capacity right across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight but particularly in the areas of greatest need, based on evidence, to help ensure our communities are protected against the virus.
“To ensure we can offer the vaccine to as many people as possible, it is really important than anyone with a booked appointment who no longer needs it for any reason cancels or moves their slot.”
Angela Anderson, Deputy Chief Nurse at Solent NHS Trust, said:
“We have had an incredible response from the public to get their vaccinations ever since we first opened the mass vaccination centres across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in January.
“However, almost 2,000 appointments at our centres were missed in the last week alone. These unwanted slots could have been offered to other eligible people if they had been cancelled. Please help others by cancelling your COVID-19 vaccination appointment if you do not plan to attend or if you have had an earlier appointment elsewhere.”
More than 3.26million COVID-19 jabs have been delivered across Hampshire and Isle of Wight since the biggest vaccination programme in the history of the NHS launched a year ago.
Come on people, if you know you won’t be able to keep your COVID Vaccination appointment, for whatever reason, do the decent thing and let the relevant people know. This is just basic common courtesy.
Perhaps the way people are treated by authorities by desperately trying to gain a jab, and then only being diverted to the mainland has understandably made a lot of people cross.
Hence once they have gained their jab, they then wrongly but understandably treat the NHS with the same contempt as the ‘booking app’ and their own doctors surgery responses treated them.
The meek inheriting the Earth attitude has long since passed and isn’t coming back imo
I’ve tried to book my third jab over a two month period at Shanklin, only to be told by receptionist they have no slots.
At long last I have one on the 18th of this month, it was hard work..
What on earth is wrong with people?????
I had an appointment and got an earlier appt @ my Dr’s surgery so the 1st thought was to cancel my appt @ Riverside so as to free it up for someone else .
Common courtesy and Common sense.
Let’s not waste this opportunity or vaccines!!!!
Maybe the government should look to itself for the reasons.
I for one are sick of being told what to do by people who do not, and seemingly cannot lead by example.
I had my first two jabs like a good boy, the instinct now is stuff the lot of it.
The way I’ve been MADE to feel.
I agree, lead by example. They are playing into the hands of the people who want this pandemic to continue. Does not take two brain cells to realise that ones actions could harm the uptake of the vaccine. Just shows that they are only good at getting elected. And that is not hard when it’s all a club that we can’t join. I’ve had all my jabs but I do understand and respect your view.
If there were walk-in availability at all times missed appointments wouldn’t be a problem.
Have been unable to book a booster for my 60+yr old partner, can only get mainland slots ! ! !
The walk ins in Ryde, unable to attend due to work.