The move to a health and social care partnership-led Covid booster vaccine delivery model led to problems in Argyll and Bute, a leading health chief has admitted.
Dr Tim Allison, NHS Highland’s director of public health and policy, reiterated the apology of the partnership’s (HSCP) interim chief officer Fiona Davies for ‘a considerable number of errors’ in the area during the vaccine rollout.
The HSCP has been in charge of the rollout for the booster jabs, with GP practices having overseen the process for the initial two vaccines.
Dr Allison told the HSCP’s integration joint board last week that the situation had improved.
Ms Davies had previously said in a report: “The chief officer would like to acknowledge that whilst a huge effort has been underway to ensure that all our population required to have Covid-19 vaccinations through the autumn, a considerable number of errors in communication of available clinics and appointment letters have occurred.
“I would like to apologise for the uncertainty, anxiety and inconvenience that this has caused.”
NHS Highland non-executive board member Graham Bell said: “I appreciate the frankness about some of the problems.
“My understanding is that difficulties with the booster rollout are actually about administration and notifications. Can you tell us why it has been such a difficult administrative task, and what is being done about it?”
Dr Allison responded: “There are several reasons. One is the move from GP administration to board administration, which is part of the national direction of travel.
“The whole of NHS Highland is behind the curve in that.
“Things do also happen fairly quickly and get changed fairly quickly, and it can be difficult to accommodate some of those changes.
“By and large, it is really adapting to new systems and getting a whole new system set up. I would want to reiterate what Fiona’s apology.
“Many of the problems are with the scheduling of appointments.”
Ms Davies then said: “What became obvious weeks ago was that appointing people by letter was not having an effect. Letters were not getting to people promptly enough.
“So we tried to bring in a system of phone appointments in the local area, and that seems to have improved communication on who needs to go to which clinics.
“That is quite a challenge for us to organise at short notice, and to have the number of people making calls so we need to learn how to build in the capacity for this.”
Nothing has changed, you can’t seem to book an online appointment in Argyll & Bute. Fort William or Aviemore appear to be the only places in “Highland” for vaccinations, certainly nothing in the Helensburgh area. No letter, No phone call, No information. Our surgery in Kilcreggan ran the last 2 roll outs of the vaccination expertly why change to start from scratch?
The error was in moving it from from the tried and tested GP administration, which very successfully dealt with two vaccinations, to the unproven HSCP administration, when it was only one further jab. Doctors were ready and prepared. The apology should come from the person responsible for that decision.