Many have been left frustrated over the ‘mixed messages’ regarding walk-in autumn booster jabs. 

Councillor for Winnersh, Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey, criticised the NHS website for advertising walk-in covid vaccines when they were in fact by appointment only. 

“Can you please correct that on the website, so it actually says, ‘by appointments only’ because it’s a pain in the neck to drive someplace to get somewhere and find out that the NHS site is wrong,” she said. 

“I tried ringing, and the phone took forever to do anything and never quite got through. It’s just very unwell thought out as far as that goes.”

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Cllr Shepherd-DuBey made the comments to a representative of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOBICB) during the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday. 

The autumn booster is available for people aged 50 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, those aged five years and over in a clinical risk group, and health and social care staff. 

The NHS aims to have all of these groups vaccinated by December 24. 

“I actually did get to have the jab, but it was by accident only because somebody cancelled. It’s not exactly the service you want to have,” Cllr Shepherd-DuBey added. 

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The Newbury Locality Manager for BOBICB Jo Reeves, acknowledged the “mixed messages” would be “really frustrating” and assured the council that it would be fed back to NHS digital who manage the website. 

“It certainly has been that often providers will try to vaccinate a patient if they are able to but often, they might be needing to keep their vaccine supply back for booked patients,” she said.

Residents who are eligible for the vaccine are advised to book ahead on the NHS National Booking Website or by calling 119.