Vulnerable elderly people were left standing in the cold and rain for hours earlier today as they queued for Coronavirus boosters in Paisley.
The over-75s had been invited to The Lagoon Leisure Centre, in Christie Street, as part of the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme.
Some waited for more than two hours and others were turned away at the door because the hall had been booked from 5pm for something else.
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Tricia Mundt, 58, and her 80-year-old mother May McInally waited for over two hours before being seen. May, who lives near the centre in Paisley, relied on her walking stick to keep her balance because there were no seats.
Tricia said: “It is absolutely shocking the state of the queue and the length of time that we waited.
“They were actually turning people away from getting their booster because they didn’t have enough nurses.
“When we joined the queue there were three nurses on duty and by the time we got in there were nine.
“My mum’s mobility is pretty bad and there weren’t near enough seats for people to sit on while waiting.
“I stood in the queue while my mum went for a seat because she was starting to get tired.
“Staff were coming out and handing us water to keep us hydrated.
“I feel sorry for them as I don’t know when they will stop for a break because there were well over 300 people still waiting to be seen.
“When they tried to turn my mum away, I told them that after waiting the length of time that I had done, I wasn’t leaving because it would have been unfair on my mother.”
The NHS boosters are for those at highest risk, including the over-75s and those with weakened immune systems.
May’s appointment was for just after 12.30pm and she turned up at 12.15pm to join the queue.
She managed to get her booster just after 2.30pm - almost two hours after her allocated slot.
Later in the afternoon, staff turned people away.
At around 3pm, the doors were closed and people were asked to come back today, reportedly because there was another booking for the facility for 5pm.
A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We have recently experienced some unexpected staff absence and would like to apologise to anyone who has had to wait longer than expected.
“Teams are 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.”
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