Apology after wait for booster at Dewars
Residents heading for their COVID vaccine booster jag were left waiting outside the Dewars Centre this week due to staff absences.
NHS Tayside has apologised after queues built up at two vaccination centres across the health board area, including the one in Perth.
Extra staff have now been drafted in from elsewhere to deal with the problem.
A number of groups recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation ( JVCI) are eligible for a booster.
These include everyone over 50, anyone with underlying health conditions, adult carers and frontline health and care workers.
Other groups being invited for a third jag are those living in residential care homes for older adults and household contacts (aged 16 or over) of immunosuppressed individuals.
However, it proved harder to get jags into arms this week with those heading to the centre at Dewars facing a lengthy wait at times.
A statement from NHS Tayside said: “Some people have experienced a longer wait at our vaccination centres in Dewars Centre in Perth and Dundee city centre in recent days and we would like to apologise for that and thank people for their patience.
“The vaccination programme is offering appointments as well as drop-in sessions.
“Unfortunately, due to a number of unplanned staff absences, there were fewer vaccinators than planned on the clinic sites which led to people having to wait longer than we would like. We have also experienced an extremely high demand in the number of people attending for drop-in clinics.
“Clinical activity across the vaccination programme has been reviewed to address this and staff have been relocated from other areas to ensure that more vaccinators and support staff are in place.”
The statement advised there was a queue management system at Dewars, with separate queues for those with an appointment and those attending for a drop-in vaccination.
It added: “Please be aware that people with an appointment will be prioritised and therefore anyone attending for a drop-in vaccination may experience a longer wait when there is higher demand.
“In circumstances where patients are physically unable to wait in queues, seating areas are available near the entrance of both vaccination centres.
“Anyone who needs additional help is encouraged to alert the stewards who are working with the nursing teams to support anyone waiting during their visit.
Wheelchairs are also available on site if required.
“To help ease any congestion and minimise delays as much as possible, we are asking people, where possible, not to arrive more than five minutes before their appointment time.
“The public should be assured that the vaccination teams across Tayside are working very hard to ensure people are seen as quickly as possible and to minimise any delays. We would like to thank everyone who has attended so far and would encourage others to come along for their vaccine.”