North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has today highlighted issues with the Welsh Covid vaccine phone line after being contacted by a frustrated constituent who has been unable to change the date for her Covid Booster jab despite several attempts.
Raising the matter with the Health Minister in this afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood said that his constituent may be unable to go on their planned trip to France because of the difficulties they have been experiencing with the booking system.
Responding to the Health Minister’s Statement ‘Update on Covid-19’, Mr Isherwood said:
“In your Written Statement last night, “COVID-19 Vaccination – JCVI further advice on Boosters”, you stated that you: “have accepted the recommendations of the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation, in line with the other nations of the UK”.
“What assurance can you therefore provide for the constituent who stated this morning:
“I am trying to re-book my Booster Vaccine from 18th December to 11th December as I am travelling to France on 19th December and to enter France I have to have had my booster 7 days beforehand.
“I am going around in circles with the Welsh Covid vaccine line, please can you help. It takes hours to get through and then no one is able to change it…?
“I have just called the COVID line again and they said their systems have not yet been updated and they cannot book me earlier than the date I have.
“Am I able to try and get an appointment in England, where they appear to be on top of things?
“This is becoming a nightmare, I have been trying since Friday and keep being told the Welsh systems are not being updated yet and to call back the next day.”
Responding the Health Minister said that the Welsh Government advice is “don’t travel abroad” and that the constituent will therefore “have to remain in line”.
She said:
“I would like to remind your constituent that actually, the travel advice from the Welsh Government is don't do it; don't travel abroad. This is not the time to travel abroad, particularly when we have this new variant that we know very little about. So, we obviously are not going to change our whole system to try and fast-track somebody who is going against Welsh Government advice; that probably wouldn't make any sense politically for us. So, I'm afraid your constituent will have to remain in line, as everybody else does, and we will do it on the basis that the JCVI has advised us, that is in order of of age and vulnerability.”