NHS Scotland 'got things seriously wrong' on booster jabs for over-75s, says CHAT chairman
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A CAITHNESS health campaigner has claimed NHS Scotland "got things seriously wrong" when it came to arranging vaccine booster jabs for the over-75s.
Ron Gunn, the chairman of Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT), was contacted by a number of local people who were concerned when they received letters saying they would have to go to Tain or Inverness to get their supplementary coronavirus jags.
He said: "They were upset and their main concern was how they were going to get there for what would be an appointment which would just last a few minutes. Somebody, somewhere got things seriously wrong but, thankfully, it now seems to have been resolved."
Mr Gunn, who got in touch with NHS Highland chief executive Pam Dudek after getting the calls from the public, said appointments were re-arranged locally after people contacted the phone number on the letter. "Staff were quite helpful in trying to get it sorted out," he added.
Catherine McIvor, who is 84 and from Thurso, received a letter from NHS Scotland about her Spring booster vaccination. It said she had an appointment on May 17 in Tain in easter Ross.
Mrs McIvor said: "I thought there is no way I can go to Tain so I got in touch and spoke to a woman who was very nice and very helpful. I explained the problem and she made an alternative appointment for me at the Legion in Thurso on April 28.
"It is terrible expecting people to travel to Tain for a booster. I was surprised when I got the letter but am delighted it has been sorted out now," added Mrs McIvor who received her third vaccination in October last year.
Donnie Mowat, who is 81 and lives in Halkirk with his wife, Janet, was told he would have to go to Inverness on April 27 for his booster jab.
Janet said: "I phoned the online service to try to rebook (the appointment) which I managed to do after holding for nearly 20 minutes and got one for the Royal British Legion in Thurso.
"The girl asked which health board area I wished to rebook with. When I said Highland and Thurso there was no Thurso on their system! However when I enquired if she had Royal British Legion she confirmed she had. I said it might have been better to have Thurso as the lead location than the actual venue."
As reported in the Caithness Courier on Wednesday, a local couple in their eighties faced a 150-mile round trip by bus for their Covid spring booster jab.
Margaret Mackay thought her husband Donald was joking when he said he was given a vaccination appointment in Tain.
Mr Mackay (84) has health problems and the couple would have had to rely on public transport to get to easter Ross and back.
Mrs Mackay (82) contacted the health board to explain their predicament and she and her husband were given alternative slots at a vaccine clinic in Thurso.
Thurso councillor, Struan Mackie, accused NHS Scotland of needlessly causing panic and worry to hundreds of people and insisted health secretary, Humza Yousaf, should apologise to those affected.
