Traffic is slow in Tothill Street, Minster, as people attend appointments at the GP surgery to get their covid vaccine jab today (January 16).
Those attending, and residents, have reported a backlog on the road as people take up the offer to get their jab. Appointments have been booked between 8am and 6pm.
The surgery is one of three sites in Thanet co-ordinating vaccinations with those in the over 80s age group one of the top priority groups.
In Thanet the groups are Minster Surgery– serving patients at Westgate Surgery, Minster Surgery, St Peter’s Surgery, Birchington Medical Practice, Broadstairs Medical Practice, Ash Surgery. Minster surgery says there are more than 3,000 patients in the over 80s group for this hub who are eligible for vaccinations. The surgery group is now due to make appointments for those in age bands 50 and above, in order of priority.
Mocketts Wood/Margate – serving The Limes Medical Centre, Northdown Surgery, Bethesda Medical Centre, Mocketts Wood Surgery
Montefiore Centre, Ramsgate – serving The Grange Medical Practice, Summerhill Surgery, Dashwood Medical Centre, East Cliff Practice, Newington Road Surgery.
Traffic map data for Minster shows traffic is slow from the High Street and into Tothill Street.
One patient getting their jab this morning was 80-year-old Dan O’Leary.
He said: “There are marshalls stopping you from driving in until you tell them why you are there and then lots of elderly people waiting for their vaccine.
“When you go inside they take you for your injection and then you have to sit on a little chair for 15 minutes until you can leave. It is very modern and I’m impressed but there were lots of people trying to get in and parking up.”
The government has pledged that by the end of January, everyone in England will be within 10 miles of a vaccination site or, for a small number of highly rural areas, the vaccine will be brought to them via mobile teams. They say the aim is to offer the first vaccine dose to all those in the top 4 priority groups recommended by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) by February 15.
People will be contacted when the vaccine is available for them.
| Priority | Risk group |
| 1 | Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults |
| 2 | All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers |
| 3 | All those 75 years of age and over |
| 4 | All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age) |
| 5 | All those 65 years of age and over |
| 6 | Adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group (see below) |
| 7 | All those 60 years of age and over |
| 8 | All those 55 years of age and over |
| 9 | All those 50 years of age and over |
| 10 | Rest of the population (to be determined) |
This month the vaccine developed by Moderna became the third to be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The other two are the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Oxford/AstraZeneca.
Why on earth are patients from St. Peter’s surgery being sent to Minister for their jabs when vaccinations from several other local surgeries are receiving theirs at St. Peter’s church hall, a few minutes’ walk away from the surgery? People of 80+ often don’t drive, and being vulnerable and shielding shouldn’t be forced to use public transport or taxis. They could end up being infected before they even get a chance to get the vaccine! Maybe someone from Public Health could be asked to comment on this and get it changed?
I think Minster had the vaccine earlier than St Peters so were able to offer people to go to Minster. I had my first 16th December second 6th Jan I know of a 90 year old only now offered St Peters who are commencing vaccine. I would add that a community bus was available for small price for those without transport
Totally agree Margaret why should they I have noticed they are in the well healed areas of Thanet my doctor’s the limes is only five minutes walk from my home what should we have to go to Mocketts wood surgery or the church hall.
I note your report says they are now making appointments for patients 50 and over!, is that actually correct?
The GP website says these are the next groups to receive appointments. Over 50s obviously at the bottom of the age banding
“Which priority group are you currently inviting?
As of 14/1/2021 we are currently inviting:
· Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
· All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
· All those 75 years of age and over
· All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
· All those 65 years of age and over. All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
· All those 60 years of age and over
· All those 55 years of age and over
· All those 50 years of age and over
Personally all in favour of the vaccination. However, I am a realist, we are all long term voluntary guinea pigs. How do we learn and save lives otherwise.
As for travel. The work load for the vaccination of a quarter of a million people has to be spread to surgeries or buildings that are large enough to accommodate the numbers of people that have to wait for 15 minutes after the vaccination and be safe enough to cope with the potential of a Covide-19 case together with all precautions necessary to protect all.
Would you rather that an 80 year old go without a potential life saving vaccination or would they rather put up with a little bit of inconvenience.
PS :- Kathryns Bailes. Please remove if you feel these comment is too provocative.
Thanks for the vaccine reporting IOTN. Any info on actual progress rates in Thanet? My parents neighbour is 90 and still heard nothing. Nethercourt/Montefiore hub.
In the SE generally about 35% of the target group has so far been vaccinated.
A way to go yet.
But more and more centres are coming on line.
I took my husband aged 83 to the Minster Surgery this morning. The surgery carpark is very limited and there is a Marshal at the entrance directing cars. The small carpark at The New Inn can be used but we found a place in the adjoining carpark . There is a short walk to the surgery. Outside you are given a questionnaire to fill in and you take this to an entrance at the back. There are helpers giving directions everywhere and although it was very busy everything was over very quickly. There is a 15 minute wait after the vaccination. Afterwards you are given a card with the Batch number on it. For the second dose we will be sent a date to return.
On asking the question how many local over 80s had been jabbed so far we were told about 25%. So there is some way to go. The over 75s will be the next group to be called.
Thanks to all,
Thank you Minster Surgery . Be thankful you are getting the vaccination. As I am sure there are keyworkers anxiously waiting and will be very grateful when their time come . Some thanet nurses are having to travel to Dover/Ashford to get theirs …..
I took my 100 year old friend to Minster this evening for a 1815 appointment for COVID jab. She is on books of Birchington Medical Centre. Bit of a nightmare with traffic due to narrow approach road and limited parking. Long holdup before entry to Minster Surgery grounds. Traffic/parking organised by Thanet Lions? They did a Stirling job in obvious difficult circumstances. Long queue but flowed nicely. My friend was outside again suitably inoculated with Pfizer variant at 1850 and was told that they expected 1100 people to pass through today. A big thank you to all involved and NO MOANING from us about distance blah blah.When it is my turn with my wife, we will travel anywhere to avail ourselves of this jab.
In many cases the ‘moaning ’ you refer to is nothing to do with distance to travel but about the means of getting to the designated vaccination point. Your elderly friend was fortunate enough to have you take them. Sadly not everyone has someone to do this for them. If we had transport we would have no concerns about the distance to travel however when we are told we will have to somehow travel across country from Westgate to Minster to get to the village surgery this is not reassuring. We haven’t travelled on public transport since the first lockdown and yet now seemingly have no choice if we are to have the vaccine.
Just a thought Garlindge surgery is shut down,why not use for vaccinations only,easy to access,and plenty of parking, off Canterbury Road