Surgery says sorry after patients left queuing up to 40 minutes for flu jabs
Hundreds of people were caught up in the queue in Bradeley, as Jon Bamber reports...
AMEDICAL centre has apologised – after hundreds of patients were left queuing for at least 40 minutes for their flu jab.
Patients had been given timed appointments at Brook Medical Centre, in Bradeley, throughout the course of the morning. But when a member of staff called in sick, hundreds of patients were left queuing outside the Chell Heath Road surgery.
Ken Alcock, aged 83, of Bradeley, waited for more than half an hour.
He said: “I have never seen a queue this big in Bradeley before.”
Sharon Ray, aged 57, of Hayes Street, Bradeley, said:
“It is absolutely crazy. They are hypocrites making us queue up like this. It is an absolute joke.”
Tom Redshaw, aged 38, of Kidsgrove, said: “It is a bit mad. We had an appointment for 10.30am. We did not want to turn up too early and we arrived at 10.20am. But I could not park up until 10.35am. I was told to get to the back of the queue. I am not impressed.”
Sheila Alcock, aged 74, said: “I have a mobility issue. I have been here since 10.15am so I was queuing for a long time.”
Some patients were unable - or unprepared - to queue for more than half an hour.
Patricia Mitchell, aged 70, of Smallthorne, said she was going to make an official complaint.
She said: “I am going to email NHS England to say what a disgrace this is. I came down at 10.38am. I got here and the queue was absolutely huge.”
Mary Clews, aged 71, of Burslem, added: “It is a bit ridiculous. It is absolutely disgraceful. I can’t possibly stand there that long.”
Deborah Cope, aged 51, of Bank Hall Road, Burslem, did queue. She said: “I have got to bring my dad back at 12.11pm. He is nearly 80 and has dementia. I have been here a good half hour. It is too long for the elderly. It is not a problem for me at all but for the elderly I think it is disgusting.”
Donna Phillips, aged 46, of Burslem, said: “It is poorly organised. It is the elderly I feel sorry for and people with conditions.”
Julian Brunsdon, aged 63, of Burslem, said: “We were told not arrive more than five minutes before an appointment – and mine was 20-30 minutes ago.”
Pensioner John Burton described the situation as a ‘joke’. The 71-year-old, of Norton, said: “I got here at 9.40am. I have not been in the queue. It is pathetic. I will probably go in the week to get mine done. I am not queuing up in that.
“It has caused traffic chaos. It is bad organisation.
They should have opened Smallthorne Community Centre or somewhere with some parking.”
Gordon Burke, aged 46, of Blackpool, was with his 74-yearold mum, who lives in Brown
Edge and was queuing to have her jab. He said: “I have seen smaller queues at Stoke City - and you do not queue as long at Stoke or Port Vale to get in. My mum has been queuing for more than 40 minutes.”
Staff at Brook Medical Centre walked along the queue to apologise to patients for the long wait.
Dr John Gilby has defended the organisation of the clinic and explained the delay was caused when one of the team went off sick at short notice. He said: “I apologise for the wait. It was due to unforeseen circumstances. We do not want people to miss out on having a flu vaccine and expose them to the risk of another respiratory virus.”