Everyone over 70 in England can book themselves!

Yes - that would seem to be the case and has been under discussion on another thread.

It is strange that this has not been properly publicised by the government simply telling people that if they are over 70 they should book online, instead of leaving people to find this out for themselves.

I haven’t seen the other thread but once your GP has confirmed you are in an eligible group you can ‘jump the queue” by stead of waiting for the notification.

This is because the system recognises you. NHS England are asking for people to wait for their letter or text, so as to not crash the system, but I suppose it’ll be like toilet rolls. Every man for himself?

We had a letter with several places offered miles and miles away, but when we tried to book the nearest venue on line it wouldn’t accept booking.

Called the number given and eventually spoke to person who said that on line wasn’t working efficiently yet, but we could wait as my surgery was sending out appointments for local venues by text, and this we decided to do. Not in a hurry as nothing will change for us just now.

I’m happy to wait my turn, it won’t mean we change day to day what we do after first or second jab.

The NHS site worked for a friend.
Her husband had received vaccination invite for this afternoon at their local GP medical centre
She tried the link and was able to book herself in for at the same place and time as her husband.

Why would the NHS put a link up if they didnt want anyone to use it?

I had a letter today saying to book an app on the NHS site, I’m going to give it a couple of days see if my GP surgery offers me a closer one otherwise I’ll just book it myself.

Do check the www.nhs.uk website, as I was given an appointment at a pharmacy 1.8 miles away, instead of travelling to the one site all the local GPs are using. There are lots of appointments and sites on there, please don't let them go to waste.

The link is to book after you have received your notification. Someone found out you could actually do it before and posted it on the internet.

The worry is that a flood of people doing that will crash the site, whereas the notifications are in manageable batches.

Is this the case even in areas where not all over 80’s have been vaccinated? I have several friends in my WI aged 80 ish who are still waiting for their jabs, we live in the NW. If so, it seems very unfair that this system works for much younger people. I thinks it’s rather selfish of people who do this to jump the queue.

I booked my two doses online,before I received a letter.I am 72.

I did it late at night,I do have to travel 10 miles though,which I am happy to do.

It will only let you book if you are in the groups that are being vaccinated,it is certainly not queue jumping.

Why does everything about the so-organisation of anything to do with covid have to be turned into a shambles?

* so-called organisation

Several people where I live - not over 70 - have used the link to book and have had their jab before me and are boasting about it on the local Facebook page. I waited until I had received a text. I can understand people wanting the vaccine but think jumping the queue is selfish, they could be stopping someone over 70 from gaining an appointment.

FarNorth

Why does everything about the so-organisation of anything to do with covid have to be turned into a shambles?

It’s hardly a shambles, compared to many other countries.
In our area, we are asked to wait until we are sent notification to book our appointments. That seems fair enough to me.

We will all get ‘done’, but in turn.

Life isn’t suddenly going to change and go back to normal, even when the vast majority have been vaccinated. It will take time.

Calendargirl
“Life isn’t suddenly going to change and go back to normal, even when the vast majority have been vaccinated. It will take time.”
Exactly Calendar. Pity really that this has been advertised and people not yet in the eligible group are allowed to queue jump.

Oldwoman70

Several people where I live - not over 70 - have used the link to book and have had their jab before me and are boasting about it on the local Facebook page. I waited until I had received a text. I can understand people wanting the vaccine but think jumping the queue is selfish, they could be stopping someone over 70 from gaining an appointment.

Well, I don’t know how they have managed to do this if they are under 70. Just put DH’s info in under the link, he is not 70 until the summer, and it soon told me he was not eligible and had to wait to be called.

I should add I had no intention of ‘jumping the queue’, I just wanted to see if younger people were able to do this.

Perhaps some who were able to book were amongst the vulnerable category?

Blooming wonderful! Thank you so much. I’m booked in for Wednesday. ??☀️

I though that Calendar. Under 70 without being CEV shouldn’t be able to jump the queue.

The site also says you should only be booking an appointment after receiving an invitation letter, which suggests you shouldn’t be ‘jumping the gun’, even if you are over 70.

Our son did it for us yesterday. Apparently very easy. We didn’t know anything about it but his in laws had heard. Why don’t they tell people about it? So we have the first appointment booked as well as the second. ?

That seems to be right Calendargirl, you can book before the actual letter arrives but you do have to be in the eligible category. Different regions are organising things differently, hence the apparent anomalies, but I think it would have been even worse if they’d tried to organise it on a national Scale.

I have said it up thread but perhaps not clearly. This is how the system works - or would work if people would stick to it!,

Priority groups were decided, starting with the over 80s.
GPS clear their patients in that group on the system and notifications are sent out. In tranches. Not all at once because THAT WOULD CRASH THE SYSTEM.

When a sufficient percentage of the first priority group are done the next group is cleared and will get a notification to book.

And so on.

So yes it is possible, once your group is cleared, to book without a notification. A techie found this out and put it out on the internet. If everyone does it all in one go the IT system WILlL CRASH!

So if you can’t wait till your called, go ahead. Grab the loo rolls. Who cares as long as you get your jab in first.

And to be clear the NHS are asking people not to book before notification.

Don’t blame the organisation or the system. Blame the selfish people who are always looking for a way to get in first.

Then the techie was very wrong to do this and you’re right Peasblossom as a result people won’t wait until they’re called. It’s very selfish, but then that’s human behaviour sadly.