By Lucy Ashton
Some people don’t go this far for their summer holidays.
That’s why Jackie Baillie MSP is furious that elderly people from the local area are facing round trips of up to 130 miles for their Covid booster jabs.
The Dumbarton constituency MSP and Labour Party’s spokesperson on health matters has been inundated with calls from over-75s in the Helensburgh and Cardross area.
They have been allocated slots for their fourth jag in locations such as Dunoon, Inveraray, Strachur, Dalmally and even Lochgilphead, which is 65 miles away by car.
Inveraray – some people don’t go that far for their holidays never mind a booster jag.
When trying to call to rearrange appointments, people are struggling to get through to anyone on the phone and many are very elderly and don’t have easy access to the online booking system.
Some have also been told there are no available appointments locally until the end of June.
The Dumbarton constituency MSP said: “It is appalling that this same problem is happening again, in some circumstances to the people who were affected before.
“I would have thought the health and social care partnership would have learned lessons from the previous shambles but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“It is completely unacceptable to ask people in their 80s and above to travel up to 130 miles for a vaccination appointment. I have no doubt that this will stop people from attending which is shocking given they are the ones who need protection from Covid the most.
“I have written to NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership demanding that they provide local vaccinations rather than making people travel over long distances for their boosters.
“This situation is ridiculous and needs to be addressed immediately.”
Frank Finnighan, who is undergoing cancer treatment at the Beatson Unit in Glasgow, is concerned that he hasn’t yet received his appointment and was appalled his wife Lynne, who is 78, was given a diary date in Inveraray.
It is the second time they have been affected having been given appointments in Oban for their previous booster last winter.
The 82-year-old said: “The last time this happened, we couldn’t believe it. Then the mail came through this morning with Lynne’s appointment and she was on the phone to someone from Inverness and transferred three times before being given an 0800 number to call.
“The other option to rearrange was to go online but people like me don’t have that facility. For the last booster, we were given appointments in Oban, now it’s Inveraray. 40 miles to get a jag, you have to be joking!”
One lady I know, 84 years old, with reduced mobility and relying on a mobility scooter was offered a slot for a jag in Inveraray. Staying in Helensburgh it is absolutely beyond belief that this is what she was offered. Maybe they thought with her reduced mobility she could drive her scooter to Inveraray.
The SNP government keep telling us what a wonderful job they are doing. COVID was Sturgeon’s big thing. This however is a sharp reality check. This is incompetence writ large – a hall mark of a failing government that no spin can cover up.
Vote em out in May is what folks are saying. You can understand why. Too busy on trans issues and teaching primary kids about anal sex.