RESIDENTS in Glasgow’s Covid hot spot feel “left in limbo” after an admin blunder saw letters telling them to go for a first vaccine appointment mistakenly sent out.
A “number of locals” in the South Side were wrongly told to book in for a shot, despite having already been given the jag and waiting for a second dose.
It’s unclear at this time how many people were affected by the mistake and there is concern it may have caused a setback to the vaccination programme in the city, which remains the only area in Scotland under Level Three restrictions.
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However, health board chiefs have promised it has had no knock on effect amid their efforts to ramp up Glasgow’s jag efforts.
Maggie Sweeney was one of those to receive the letter by mistake and she said: “ I received my letter on Thursday, even though I had my first vaccine back in March.
“On calling NHS Covid helpline I was told to: ‘just ignore it’.
“A subsequent search on social media revealed I was, in fact, not to ignore it and, wait for it, call the helpline.
“It appears an administrative error has caused the problem but it’s unclear how many people have been affected.
“I now feel left in limbo and I have lost confidence in The Helpline who seem unaware or are not fessing up to the blunder.”
As we told previously, nearly half of all appointments at the city’s Hydro were missed at the weekend. This is currently being probed by both the Scottish Government and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde but it’s understood many letters had been sent to old addresses held on file.
Glasgow MSP Paul Sweeney is among those calling for the vaccination appointment system, which can now be done online, to be cross-referenced with other data to ensure no one misses a shot.
Mr Sweeney said: “It’s becoming increasingly clear that the NHS Scotland vaccine appointment contract with US company ServiceNow is flawed because it is totally reliant on GP registration data that is less accurate amongst younger people and in cities like Glasgow with a more fluid population.
“The new Health Secretary must take urgent steps to address this by opening drop-in vaccination centres, and cross-referencing GP data with Council Tax and the Electoral Register to ensure that every citizen is vaccinated.
“This is especially urgent in Glasgow as the city continues to languish in Level Three restrictions with vaccination rates significantly trailing the average across Scotland as a whole.”
An NHS GGC spokesman said: “We want to thank everyone who has come forward for a vaccine so far. We’ve had incredible success to date and this is a testament to the hard work of all those staff from across NHSGGC who have been involved in the roll-out of the programme.
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“We are aware of a small number of recording errors which have since been rectified. If anyone is unsure or would like information about their vaccine appointment, please contact the National Helpline: 0800 030 8013 (available 8am–8pm 7 days a week).”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are aware that, due to an admin error in vaccination centres, some people have incorrectly received a letter asking them to rearrange their first appointments.
“If you receive this letter, and you have had your first dose, please phone the national phone line on 0800 030 8013.”
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