Confusion over vaccine appointments

Parents are being asked to phone and cancel vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds only to discover appointments have already been scrapped.

Last week drop-in clinics were temporarily opened to 12-15s in Perth and Pitlochry.

Parents/carers of 12-15s who got vaccinated there were then asked to cancel appointments to make them available for someone else.

Over the past week letters have been posted out to 12 to 15-year-olds in the Perth and Kinross area with appointment details.

And from Monday, 12-15s have been vaccinated by appointment only.

The advice given by NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government was for parents/carers of anyone who had already been given a vaccine to phone the helpline and cancel the appointment.

One parent phoned the helpline this week - and after being on hold for 10-15 minutes - discovered the appointment for their 12-year-old had already been cancelled.

The call handler told the parent they had noticed this a few times this week when parents phoned to cancel appointments. The system had already been updated with the details of when the vaccine was administered and the allocated appointment subsequently cancelled.

However, the Scottish Government is still requesting parents phone to cancel the appointments.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government told the PA:“There is no change regarding drop-in clinics and subsequent appointments through the post. As the NHS Inform website says, people should make contact to cancel.”

The website statement reads:“If you decide to attend a drop-in clinic, remember to phone and cancel your appointment.”