Coronavirus

[D.Boon]

1 hour ago, Dan said:

Over 45s can book their jabs now on the NHS website.

Just done mine for next week

48 minutes ago, Romario said:

Nice one. How long was it until you got a confirmation mail or text? Can't tell if my booking went through as the site is hanging!

Mine looked like it had crashed but rang up and the booking was logged. The site is just getting smashed

[Romario]

2 minutes ago, D.Boon said:

Just done mine for next week

Mine looked like it had crashed but rang up and the booking was logged. The site is just getting smashed

OK. That's good to know. What number did you call? I'm surprised you got through.

 

[D.Boon]

5 minutes ago, Romario said:

OK. That's good to know. What number did you call? I'm surprised you got through.

 

119. Didn't take too long 

[Cam]

In for Friday next week and then 9th July.  Just a crying shame Prince Phil couldn't share this day with me.

 

[Redwire]

1 hour ago, Romario said:

Nice one. How long was it until you got a confirmation mail or text? Can't tell if my booking went through as the site is hanging!

I've just booked my second jab and I've not yet got confirmation.  The same delay happened when I booked my first on the first day over 50s went live but it came through eventually.

[Cam]

Printed out confirmation (with the booking references) immediately but not had the text or email yet.  I suspect that part of the system is off to help support the main site with its bombardment (Dave G - I don't know if IT actually works like this but it kinda sounds like what they do in the movies).

[Romario]

33 minutes ago, D.Boon said:

119. Didn't take too long 

Cheers for the advice. Just off the phone. Next Tuesday confirmed. Second on July 6th. Properly  excited.

 

[Tosh]

Was listening to my wife’s work management team have a long discussion yesterday about getting people back in the office - lawyers as well as all other staff - and whether people need to be jabbed before coming back in. 
 

you could hear the jaws drop among the Americans when she said that most of the UK and European folk have not had their jabs (and likely won’t have had until late summer) as priority has been given to those most at risk, rather than a free-for all. The silence was only broken when she mentioned the 12 week thing with “why 12 weeks?”

Today she’s sent them an article saying we’ve now covered all 9 top priority groups and they accounted something north of  95% of all deaths. But the fact that these groups may not be highly paid lawyers will likely be lost on the Americans she works with (she now counts herself as British having lived in the US for just 5 years since 1987)
 

[Gethin]

Think it's pretty poor opening up applications for jabs like this. Seems like a PR move rather than the most efficient way of getting through the lists.

Sure, have a reserve list for people who are able to make short notice appointments - but turning it into a free-for-all just gets people hopes up, then gets them frustrated when websites get overwhelmed.

 

[Redwire]

They've only opened it up for 45 to 49 though, same as they did for 50 to 54.  That seemed to work ok and all the people I know in the latest age group have managed to book slots today.

[Hightown Phil]

8 hours ago, Gethin said:

Think it's pretty poor opening up applications for jabs like this. Seems like a PR move rather than the most efficient way of getting through the lists.

Sure, have a reserve list for people who are able to make short notice appointments - but turning it into a free-for-all just gets people hopes up, then gets them frustrated when websites get overwhelmed.

 

It’s easily the most efficient way isn’t it?

[Gethin]

16 minutes ago, Hightown Phil said:

It’s easily the most efficient way isn’t it?

Wouldn't have thought so, no.

NHS has a reasonably comprehensive list of everyone that fits into each group, let them work through it. They'll know by now roughly what the average no show rate is and they can use reserve lists to fill in those gaps. That way people really keen to get one (I signed up to one but my scheduled appointment came through anyway) or those that aren't registered with a GP have a mechanism to sign up but most of us can just wait until it's our turn. Open reservations are just pandering to people's (understandable) impatience.

If they were opening bookings to people that can prove they work in things that have lots of face to face contact (emergency services, schools, hospitality or retail) then I think I'd feel differently - but general open booking? Not comfortable that's the best use of resources. Thankfully it's not happening in Wales though.

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by Gethin

[Hightown Phil]

What you’ve described is clearly less efficient.

[Bailo]

I thought everyone in the highest age risk groups and highest medical groups had been offered the vaccine now? 

[muleskinner]

7 minutes ago, Bailo said:

I thought everyone in the highest age risk groups and highest medical groups had been offered the vaccine now? 

They have, ahead of schedule. 

[Gethin]

9 minutes ago, Hightown Phil said:

What you’ve described is clearly less efficient.

Explain to me how? It's been working really efficiently until now doing it the way I've described

9 minutes ago, Bailo said:

I thought everyone in the highest age risk groups and highest medical groups had been offered the vaccine now? 

Yeah it has. The plan was then to do 50-59 (largely done now), then 40s then 30s then the rest. It's not going to take long at current rates to get through all that so not really sure why we suddenly need a booking system. There must be an appreciable cost associated with providing that over and above just working through the list.

[Hightown Phil]

People have been booking appointments for months. 

[D.Boon]

It's been like this for the last few groups  hasn't it? They just seem to have advertised this section more.

[Gethin]

16 minutes ago, Hightown Phil said:

People have been booking appointments for months. 

Hadn't realise England had been offering that for a while. Must explain why Wales (which hasn't been offering that) is a reasonable way ahead in %age terms then

 

[Hightown Phil]

I’d say those two things have zero correlation.

[Gethin]

I thought you would.

[Hightown Phil]

Because of. . . ?

[Bogman]

Didn't know you could book either, but the wifey sorted it out last night, and we're both booked in for this Friday.

Sorted.

[muleskinner]

Been open booking here for each group since end of January. I still get emails and texts from my GP and central NHS 3 or 4 times a week asking me to book despite having had a jab. Whatever system they are using clearly works, the numbers done back it up.

[Leo No.8]

I think the issue with allocating jabs is some people will not turn up or refuse them and they will get wasted as they only last so long. I know several people in that age bracket who will refuse because they are anti vaccine and think the whole thing is a big conspiracy to sterilise us or something. Getting people to book I would imagine means the uptake will be high with low waste. 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Leo No.8