Cabinet minister Priti Patel has admitted there have been “localised issues” in getting Covid-19 jabs rolled out to some GPs.
The Home Secretary insisted that overall the roll-out of the vaccination was “working” and is due to be stepped up dramatically in coming days.
However, some family doctors are telling how they are having to postpone appointments, booked with elderly pensioners to have the vaccination, after running out of supplies.
Some practices have not received any doses at all.
South London GP Dr Rosemary Leonard tweeted on Wednesday: “Covid vaccination- from the front line. My group of practices was initially told we would get our first delivery on 28th december. Then 4th jan. Then 11th jan. Now we are ‘6th wave’ and it will be 13th, 14th or 15th jan. We are raring to go, but have no vaccines. WHY?”
GPs in Durham, Warwickshire and Sussex have also told of supply problems.
Ms Patel told Sky News: “The NHS has a clear plan for delivering the vaccine and that plan has been working, it is going out to GPs.
“There might be localised issues in getting vaccine to a particular GP surgery.
“But the fact of the matter is the vaccines were given to key hospitals on Monday and they are being rolled out to...GP-led service centres and care homes as of today.
“Over 1.3 million people across the United Kingdom have already received the first dose of the vaccine and we are now getting more people vaccinated than the rest of Europe combined.
“This is the biggest roll-out programme of vaccination in the history of the NHS so there are clearly some issues right now but the fact of the matter is we are absolutely getting this vaccine rolled out.”
Health chiefs are aiming to get around 1,000 vaccination centres up and running by the end of the week at hospitals, GP hubs and other venues, with three vaccination mega-centres due to open next week including one at the ExCel centre in London’s Docklands.
