Jag backlog for elderly and clinically vulnerable
ABACKLOG of vaccination appointments is leading to older people waiting an “unacceptably long” time for a Covid jag at home. Paul Sweeney, Glasgow Labour MSP, raised the case of an 83-yearold who waited more than one month because the vaccine team was “too busy”.
The MSP raised the issue with the Health Secretary Humza and asked what was being done to speed up the process.
Sweeney said: “The reality of the backlog for vulnerable people is quite stark. One of my constituents, who is 83 years of age, waited for more than a month for a home vaccination appointment.
“When I made representations to the health board on her behalf, I was told that the vaccination team was simply too busy to provide her with an appointment date, which meant that she had to put herself at risk and attend a drop-in clinic to receive her vaccination.”
He said vulnerable people who are not normally well enough to attend vaccination centres are being left behind and stuck at home in the run-up to Christmas.
The Health Secretary said Scotland has done more booster doses than anywhere else in the UK and said plans were under way to reach as many people as possible before the Christmas period.
Yousaf said: “That is an unacYousaf ceptably long wait for a vulnerable person.”
He added at-home appointments take longer.
The Health Secretary said: “Not only do health board staff have to travel to an individual, but there is the 15-minute recovery period thereafter.
“Nonetheless, housebound people often have vulnerabilities that mean that they cannot travel to a vaccination centre, and I expect them to be prioritised.”