An elderly Scots couple have blasted NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde after they were forced to wait almost three hours for Covid and flu vaccines - despite being frail and ill.
The couple, from Riddrie in Glasgow, were told to be at the Glasgow Club in Auchinlea Road, Easterhouse, on Friday, September 23, and given specific appointment times.
However when they arrived, Andrew and Lauren Wigton had to stand in a slow moving queue. Andrew, 77, who is diabetic, was "shaking" by the time he left the hall due to not eating.
Meanwhile, Lauren was left in agony and exhausted. The 74-year-old suffers from spinal problems and has the condition fibromyalgia, which causes fatigue and muscular problems.
A spokesman for the health board has since apologised for the couple's wait, blaming "unexpected" staff absences in their vaccination team.
Andrew told the Daily Record: "We ended up standing for three and a half hours in a queue. We don't know how they can arrange timed appointments yet have such a queue and backlog of patients waiting.
"I'd have said there were around 400 people queueing up while we were there.
"There were people there like myself who are diabetic and my wife has problems with her back that makes it painful for her to stand.
"A lot of the people there were older, so to ask them to wait for such a long time isn't right.
"By the time we got our jabs there were only six people administering them. We don't blame the staff who were working on the day, but the NHS need to look at who needs to be seen first.
"People with health conditions or disabilities shouldn't have to wait."
The couple, who made the trip to get their jabs on the day of their 56th wedding anniversary, had an appointment time of 3.24pm for the Covid booster and flu vaccine, and arrived around 2.50pm.
"We never got our jabs until after 6pm," Andrew added.
"If it was a walk in service where it was first come, first served, I could understand, but we were given a specific time to be there. We didn't get any explanation or apology either, we were just told that there was a wait."
Andrew's wife Lauren is in the process of writing a letter of complaint to Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board, as well as the Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, and said the ordeal may stop her from having her vaccines next year.
She said: "It was worst wedding anniversary I've ever had. By the time we got home, Andrew was physically shaking because of his diabetes and the lack of food. I was struggling to stand and I was absolutely shattered after it. I struggled to walk to the car and when we got back I went to bed for a sleep almost instantly.
"To ask elderly and infirm people to wait that long just isn't on. This will stop me going for my vaccines next year if they don't get it sorted. If I had known what it was going to be like there's no way I would have gone."
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: "We have recently experienced some unexpected staff absences and we would like to apologise to Mr and Mrs Wigton for their waits.
"Teams have been working hard to redeploy vaccinators to the site, where available, and are actively engaging with people to provide a suitable alternative appointment where appropriate.
"We would like to thank members of the public for their patience and the support they have given our vaccination teams, who are working hard to ensure those receiving their vaccinations are administered both swiftly and safely.
“As part of the national rollout, people are being invited forward based on their clinical priority which means those most likely to be at risk from flu or Covid-19 are vaccinated first.
“Our teams are working tirelessly on the ground to ensure that queuing time is minimised for this group. One of the key ways which can help reduce waiting time is for the public only to show up when they have an appointment, and within a few minutes of their appointment time.
"If anyone is concerned about accessing a clinic, we would encourage them to call the national helpline on 0800 030 8013."
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