Back in the middle of September, I received a text message from my GP’s surgery. It was an invite to book a Covid 19 booster jab. Because of my age, I had become eligible for the “Autumn Booster” jab. The date they had offered was not a particularly good date for us for a number of reasons. However, as I had an appointment a day or two after receiving the text, I was able to make a different appointment.
At the beginning of October, another text message appeared. This time, it was from the NHS, inviting me to book an appointment for the booster jab. I checked with the GP’s surgery and they told me that I was booked with them and it was on my medical record. So I left it at that making the assumption that there had been some kind of crossover delay or something.
This morning, the Royal Mail delivered a letter. It was from the NHS reminding me to book my booster jab, and explaining all the problems that ‘could’ occur should I fail to take advantage of the booster.
It seems to be such a waste of valuable Health Service resources to issue an invite and a reminder for something that is already booked. It’s not the first time this has happened. Last year I received an invite and reminder from the NHS about the annual flu jab, that I was entitled to. This was two weeks after I received the flu jab. I’m having the flu one today so will be looking out for messages and letters in the coming weeks.
Rant over !!!
From the keyboard of Tony 
It’s standard practice for the NHS to send out invitations as soon as a person becomes eligible and a reminder after a couple of weeks or so if there is no record of a vaccination.
The NHS database is not updated when an appointment has been booked, the person might not keep the appointment.
The database is updated after the vaccination has taken place.
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Thanks sue. Just seems strange that the three apps on my phone and the GP had me down as having an appointment.
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My Apps are the GP Apps where I order prescriptions and make appointments and access my medical records. I don’t have one that links to the NHS.
By the way I have Covid again, I began just six days after having the booster! No time for it to kick in.
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I have System Online, Airmid UK and the NHS app. Bad news about the Covid.
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Yes I have the same ones.
The nurse told me that they upload the vaccination info to the NHS vaccine database.
When I’ve looked on Airmid the latest info about me is always a little behind.
The Covid around now is totally unrecognisable from the first Covid virus so I’m not surprised it’s spreading, if you’ve had it before you don’t recognise this one.
I’m on day five and starting to feel a bit better. It has felt like a combination of flu, a heavy cold, sore throat and bad chest all rolled into one. I picked it up from my son (again!) all he had was a sore throat for a couple of days.
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BTW that “SueW” I saw on the Ask Woody site is a person that used to have that as their username before they were married.
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Ah, all cleared up then! 🙂
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