Doctors told to bin leftover vaccines instead of administering second doses.

It gives no names of those that supposedly gave the instructions to through away vaccine and I do not believe it. It is scaremongering. Bad journalism that should be held to account. No many in the medical profession who are working non stop to get as many people vacinnated as they can, there would be an outcry if this happened. If people don't attend they get on the phone and go through the list doing the best they can.

Re forgetting because appointments made months in advance, surely this does not apply in this case.

Not in the case of COVID vaccine appointments, no biba but your post @ 17.02 simply said DNA's should be named, shamed and charged and that's what I addressed. You then stated It just does not happen where people have to pay for their treatment . Are you suggesting that the NHS should charge people for their healthcare, (thereby going against the very ethos of what the NHS was set up to provide to everyone, irrespective of their ability to pay), in order that the DNA rate is reduced still further?

Biba is right, people do come up with some bizarre reasons for missing appointments, I’ve got first hand experience of that in the NHS. One of the main reasons DNA rates have come down in the last few years is that the onus is now put on the patient to return to their GP and ask the GP to request they are seen again if they DNA a hospital appointment without a valid reason.

However, some people have no idea what ridiculous excuses many people come up with- which are totally unacceptable and yes, often ridiculous

How do you know this, biba?

And yes, thank you for reminding me that in this instance, we are talking about very elderly and vulnerable people. Point taken and accepted.

However, some people have no idea what ridiculous excuses many people come up with- which are totally unacceptable and yes, often ridiculous. Re forgetting because appointments made months in advance, surely this does not apply in this case.

SueDonim

biba70

DNA's should be named, shamed and charged.

Would that include all the people local to me who DNA-ed their flu jag appointments because the letters arrived after the date of their appointments?

well, clearly not.

The DNA rate across the UK has fallen dramatically, year on year since 2017 and continues to do so and this saves the NHS millions £££ a year.
That's good to hear such positive news, Chewbacca.

Yes, I expect some people move house too and forget to inform the LHA or the surgery.
Elderly people might have no-one to help them with such matters and either not understand or forget if they have no-one to remind them and take them.

biba70

DNA's should be named, shamed and charged.

Would that include all the people local to me who DNA-ed their flu jag appointments because the letters arrived after the date of their appointments?

I have some professional knowledge of this subject Callistemon. There are many reasons for patients to fail appointments: inability to physically get there, patients forget their appointment time, especially if the appointment has been made some months before, in the current COVID situation, some patients are actually afraid to attend doctors surgeries and hospitals, some patients have dementia and are unaware of their appointment and how they can cancel them. Many NHS Trusts, and GP surgeries, employ and appointment management system, which contacts patients 72, 48 or 24 hours before their appointment. But this only works if the patient has kept the Trust informed of the current address, telephone number or next of kin. The DNA rate across the UK has fallen dramatically, year on year since 2017 and continues to do so and this saves the NHS millions £££ a year.

biba70

DNA's should be named, shamed and charged.

These are people who are over 80. Who knows how difficult it is for them to get to their appointment. It seems to me that, quite sensibly, most if not all centres are calling others in when there is vaccine not used that day. Bringing in the over 70s should help. At some point they will have to do home calls for some people. Over 80s include very vulnerable over 80s and over 90s. I don't think the system will be improved by being callous towards those people.

Oh yes, it costs money
But they can't be named and shamed.

I wonder if there are reasons - some people may get the call but not be able to get there and/or perhaps don't understand the implications of it all if they live alone, may have the onset of dementia etc.
Some care homes have not been taking new residents in for nearly a year.

It just does not happen where people have to pay for their treatment that's absolutely correct biba. But then, without the NHS providing free to access healthcare to all, there would be many thousands of people who would get no healthcare whatsoever. Because they couldn't afford it. So charging patients to access healthcare, to minimise the DNA ratio, would be like throwing the baby out with the bath water.
The NHS does not ^protect DNA's^; it protects the confidentiality and data of its patients, as in the law of Great Britain. The 2 shouldn't be conflated.

It is my opinion - and yes, I am aware. DNAs in the UK is a disgrace, not just for vaccinations, but all NHS appointments, incl, operations and normal appointments.

It just does not happen where people have to pay for their treatment- and I personally do believe the NHS should not protect DNAs.

X post

I understood that your DH used to work for the NHS, biba.
Im sure he will know that that would be a breach of patient confidentiality.

DNA's should be named, shamed and charged.

That would be in breach of the Data Protection & Information Governance Act, May 2018, which prohibits any information regarding patients, their details or any identifying data being released. I'm surprised that you weren't aware of that biba.

and put at the very bottom of the list.

DNA's should be named, shamed and charged.

Picked it up on the BBC web site direct from the Head of NHS. ?

I do agree its scandalous to throw it away but on occasion there is no choice. Now if everyone turned up there would be no need for this discussion.

But good news may not get reported in the media

That's great. Plus, the vaccinated numbers will go up much quicker!

Elegran and Gagajo - son says they are hoping to start 24/7 vaccination very soon which will help with the excess.

Kissngate, that is shocking. Such a waste. Could they not start a first come, first served standby vaccination?

But it's not shocking because it hasn't happened yet.

It is just a hypothesis.

Pilot 24/7 beng set up as we speak. If it works there’ll be more?