Jab centre conditions entirely unacceptable

I entirely endorse the views set out in Emma Elgee’s article last week about the appalling conditions at Lansdown Racecourse Vaccination Centre.

The experience of her interviewee was replicated exactly when I drove an elderly friend to his vaccination there recently. On arrival, in good time for his appointment, we were told by a steward that there was a delay of 90 minutes.

My friend went in promptly for his appointment, and was then asked to wait in a large tent, with no seating or heating, together with 52 others who were ahead of him. This included a proportion of “walk-ins” with no appointments, which obviously interfered with the appointment system.

He became increasingly concerned about the situation with temperatures approaching zero, which was obviously causing distress to several elderly ladies close to him in the queue, and brought this to the attention of the stewards, but no assistance or seating was provided for them.

Eventually he was sent into another tent where the vaccinations were administered, and returned to my car two hours and five minutes after leaving it.

It appears that conditions at this vaccination centre are entirely unacceptable in a civilised society. This particular centre has been running for well over 18 months and is still shambolic.

There is a very stark contrast with local vaccination centres at GPS’ surgeries or at the Somer Centre in Midsomer Norton where one is dealt with on time and in a few minutes, with only the 15-minute compulsory “sit-down” as a cause of delay.

However, no doubt it will be these smaller, local, well organised services which the Clinical Commissioning Group is intending to close, in favour of disorganised and inefficient larger centres like Lansdown.

Howard Hardman Paulton