We are pleased to let you know that we are one of the few medical practices in Suffolk who have successfully been approved as a vaccination centre for the Coronavirus vaccination programme.
We have been vaccinating our patients at the East Bergholt site from the 14th January 2021.
The practice does not store the vaccines and gets notified by the government 5-10 days before delivery of about 1000 vaccines at a time. Once delivered, all vaccines have got to be used within 3 and a half working days.
The practice therefore has to make a lot of phone calls in a short space of time to book patients into the clinics. So far we have been calling individual patients. Now, with help of the experience we have gained, we are also inviting patients to directly book their appointments into the clinics via a text message from an online booking system called QHealth.
Here are a few FAQs that may help you in case you have received a text message to book an appointment.
Q 1. What do I do when I get a text message?
A. click on the link included in your text message, once you are taken to the website then press on Login. Then input your name and date of birth then press submit. You then click on the date and time you prefer and then press confirm. Later that day you will get a confirmation text of your appointment.
Q 2. I have already had the vaccine or been offered an appointment?
A. If you have already had the vaccine or declined to have it then please ignore the text message.
Q 3. I already have an appointment booked?
A. If you already have an appointment book then please ignore the text message.
Q 4. There are no appointments left?
A. Don’t worry! Our system keeps track of who has had the vaccine. We will contact you again in due course by text or telephone and offer you another appointment. Please DO NOT contact the practice.
Q 5. I can’t make it on the date/time offered?
A. Same as above, we will contact you again to arrange another appointment for you. Please DO NOT contact the practice.
Q 6. I don’t have a smart phone or internet access?
A. Same as above, we will contact you again to arrange another appointment for you. Please DO NOT contact the practice.
Q 7. Which vaccine will I get?
A. This depends on what the government sends to us, so far we have been getting the Pfizer Vaccine, but this could change to the Oxford Vaccine.
Q 8. Is this for the first dose? When do we get the second dose?
A. It is only for the first dose. The government advice is that you will get your second dose in 12 weeks. We cannot give you a specific date for the second dose as the date of delivery for the vaccines is not fixed yet.
Q 9. What happens on the day?
A. Please watch this video for information.
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