28 January 2021

Email sent to all staff on behalf of Simon Barber, Chief Executive

Following our invitation for you to book vaccine appointments for people you know who meet the criteria for the top four priority groups, I am extremely disappointed that we have seen people attend who do not currently meet the criteria. 

They have been given the booking by our staff either because there is a misunderstanding of the criteria or because people are trying to jump the queue. We have therefore had to change our process on admission to the vaccination centre as a result.

People attending will be asked to demonstrate which of the criteria they meet.  Those who do not meet the national criteria will be turned away. We have had to do this already this morning.

This is wasting time for our busy staff in the centre, as well as for those who have travelled for an appointment. These inappropriate bookings are also using slots which could be used for someone in more need.

The priority groups have been set nationally by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Our Trust must adhere to this and we are unable to vaccinate anyone who does not fit within these four categories:

  • Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
  • Those 80 years of age and over / frontline health and social care workers
  • Those 75 years of age and over
  • Those 70 years of age and over / clinically extremely vulnerable individuals of any age (see full description below)

This has been agreed to make sure those at highest risk of developing complications, and potentially dying, should they contract the virus are protected as soon as possible.

Please do not book an appointment for or share the booking link with anyone who is not eligible.

Please respect our processes and support us to carry out our duty to prioritise vulnerable groups.  

Definition of ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’

People with the following conditions are automatically deemed clinically extremely vulnerable:

  • solid organ transplant recipients
  • people with specific cancers:
    • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
    • people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
    • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
    • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
    • people having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
    • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
  • people with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • people with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell disease)
  • people on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
  • problems with your spleen, for example splenectomy (having your spleen removed)
  • adults with Down’s syndrome
  • adults on dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (stage 5)
  • women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired
  • other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs. GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decisions