OAP blasts decision to hold super clinic at St Mirren Park
A disabled pensioner who lives just yards from her GP surgery faces trave l l i n g f five miles on public t transport to get her
Catherine O’Neill, 79, now fears she will go without the jag this winter, rather than make the difficult trip to St Mirren Park.
She can see Ravenswood
Surgery from her home in Thomson Avenue, Johnstone.
But, instead of attending there for her flu vaccine like she has previously, she has now been told she will have to travel to the new St Mirren flu centre in Paisley as GP practices are only vaccinating those aged 18- 64 who are deemed “at risk”.
Catherine, who has mobility issues, faces either a bus ride or two separate trains, both with a 15-minute
walk to the Greenwood Road super clinic.
The pensioner has described this year’s vaccine plans as “atrocious” for potentially putting elderly people at risk.
She said: “There is no way that we can get there.
“I have a lot of disabilities and find it hard to walk, so I can’t be getting buses and trains and I won’t pay for a taxi as it’s too expensive there and back.
“It’s absolutely atrocious that they have told over 65s to go to the new place.
“My surgery is a the end of my street and even at that I have to stop for a rest half way.
“I have no idea how I am going to get to the football stadium.
“I just don’t understand why they can’t offer it in more places.
“If I can’t get it locally, then I probably won’t get it at all.
“And I don’t think it is fair to ask pensioners to pay for it at a chemist if that is the only option we are left with.
“I feel like we are being forced into a difficult decision and it is going to put elderly people at risk.”
The Paisley Express previously revealed that some elderly people from rural Renfrewshire faced three different bus trips in order to get the vaccine.
Renfrewshire HSCP announced last week that St Mirren Park would be the venue for the clinic - which is expected to dole out 1,000 flu jabs every day.
It has since been revealed that those living in Lochwinnoch would now be able to access the vaccine in nearby Beith.
However, other rural areas, such as Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Houston, still have to travel to Paisley.
Renfrewshire HSCP stated that one site has been chosen as it was “the safest and most effective way” to carry out thousands of vaccines.
It’s understood that HSCP bosses decided no other locations in the local authority were appropriate to be used as vaccine clinics.
According to the HSCP website, the site was chosen as it is “easily accessible by car or public transport”, has a well-lit car park and is large enough to allow for social distancing.
However, neighbouring authorities, such as Inverclyde and East Renfrewshire, both have four separate locations, including town halls and community centres.
West Scotland MSP Neil Bibby previously branded the Renfrewshire plans as “ridiculous” and said the approach by other areas “makes a mockery” of HSCP bosses.
He said: “How on earth can we justify having just one centre in Renfrewshire when areas surrounding that have a smaller population have four?
“This has clearly not been thought through properly as there are a number of places which would be suitable.
“This just makes an absolute mockery of the decision that has been made here.”
Mr Bibby raised concerns regarding the St Mirren clinic to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who said Health Secretary Jeane Freeman will speak with bosses at Renfrewshire HSCP.
She said: “I’ll ask the Health Secretary to engage with the local partnership to make sure that they have arrangements in place that are genuinely accessible for people.
“I hope everybody understands why there is a different delivery mechanism for the flu vaccine this year.
“It is unavoidable because of the covid risks, but it remains essential – in fact, I would say it is more essential than ever this year – that getting the vaccine is available to people and possible for people in an accessible way.”