An elderly couple from Glasgow has claimed that they were forced to wait for more than three hours to receive their covid and flu vaccines.

The Daily Record reports that Andrew and Lauren Wigton from Riddrie were given specific appointment times to attend the Glasgow Club on Auchinlea Road in Easterhouse on Friday, September 23.

Although the date fell on their 56th wedding anniversary, the “frail and ill” couple made their way to the centre only to be faced with a slow queue that left diabetic Andrew, 77, "shaking".

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Lauren,74, also faced huge discomfort in the queue thanks to her spinal problems and fibromyalgia which causes tiredness and muscular issues.

She said: “It was the worst wedding anniversary I've ever had.

"By the time we got home, Andrew was physically shaking because of his diabetes and the lack of food.

"I was struggling to stand and I was absolutely shattered after it. 

"To ask elderly and infirm people to wait that long just isn't on.

"If I had known what it was going to be like there's no way I would have gone."

The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has since claimed that delays on the day of the couple's visit were due to "unexpected staff absences".

Although they are not looking to place "blame" on individual staff who were working on the day, Andrew and Lauren have questioned why their appointment time was not prioritised.

Andrew said: "We ended up standing for three and a half hours in a queue.

"We don't know how they can arrange timed appointments yet have such a queue and backlog of patients waiting.

"By the time we got our jabs there were only six people administering them. 

"People with health conditions or disabilities shouldn't have to wait.

“If it was a walk-in service where it was first come, first served, I could understand, but we were given a specific time to be there.

“We didn't get any explanation or apology either, we were just told that there was a wait."

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An NHS Spokesperson told the Daily Record: “An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: "We have recently experienced some unexpected staff absences and we would like to apologise to Mr and Mrs Wigton for their waits.

"Teams have been working hard to redeploy vaccinators to the site, where available, and are actively engaging with people to provide a suitable alternative appointment where appropriate.

"We would like to thank members of the public for their patience and the support they have given our vaccination teams, who are working hard to ensure those receiving their vaccinations are administered both swiftly and safely.

“As part of the national rollout, people are being invited forward based on their clinical priority which means those most likely to be at risk from flu or Covid-19 are vaccinated first.

“Our teams are working tirelessly on the ground to ensure that queuing time is minimised for this group. One of the key ways which can help reduce waiting time is for the public only to show up when they have an appointment, and within a few minutes of their appointment time.

"If anyone is concerned about accessing a clinic, we would encourage them to call the national helpline on 0800 030 8013."