Booster shambles

sir – I recently visited my mother in Yorkshire and arranged her Covid booster for her using the telephone booking service. I eventually spoke to an operator and an appointment was made at a local pharmacy for the day of the late Queen’s funeral.

On phoning the pharmacy to check it was open, I was told that nobody would be there as it was a bank holiday, so I rang the booking service back, only to find that the system was down.

Looking online, I found there was a drop-in booster service at the Great Yorkshire Showground, and we were in, jabbed and out within an hour.

Meanwhile I had two texts from the NHS – one confirming that vaccination centres would be open on the bank holiday (they weren’t) and a second confirming my mother’s now redundant pharmacy appointment. Mark Calvin

Tretower, Brecknockshire

sir – A missed appointment due to the late arrival of a hospital letter (Letters, September 17) may not necessarily be the fault of the NHS.

However, I was astounded when the elderly Ukrainian lady billeted in my house was refused an MRI scan at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge due to the absence of a translator – as was explained to her fluent Englishspeaking daughter.

A day was wasted, an elderly lady’s urgent test was delayed and money was lost in the cancellation of a procedure. No doubt extra costs will now be incurred employing an official translator.

Tom Ryves

Methwold, Norfolk

sir – Thérèse Coffey, the Health Secretary, is endeavouring to eradicate NHS jargon (Letters, September 17).

I recently received a letter from my doctor’s surgery telling me that I have to make an “F2F appointment with my GP to discuss HF”. I am still looking for a translation.

Peter Waller

Margate, Kent