HOSPITAL ASKS PEOPLE NOT TO CALL ABOUT JABS

DERRIFORD Hospital chiefs are pleading with people to wait their turn for the Covid-19 vaccine, after being inundated with phone calls from members of the public and key workers urgently wanting their jabs.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has issued a statement saying they are only able to vaccinate people aged 80-plus and their registered carers – and cannot yet offer the vaccine to members of the public or key workers.

The hospital is urging people not to call the hospital vaccination clinic centre or to just turn up, as they will be turned away.

The statement reads: “Derriford Hospital is not able to vaccinate members of the general public or key workers. Our clinical teams are only legally able to vaccinate people aged 80+ attending as outpatients and their registered carers plus health & care staff (who have been invited to attend by their managers or via a drop-in).

“This is in line with the national

JCVI advice on priority groups. Our Covid-19 call centre is currently being overwhelmed by the number of calls coming in.

“Unless you have been contacted by a member of Derriford staff, please do not call the hospital vaccination clinic number or just turn up, as we will have to turn you away. Thank you for helping us continue to vaccinate those people who are eligible as quickly as possible.”

There are 50 hubs in the first wave and more hospitals have rolled out vaccinations.