Coronavirus: reports of people struggling to get through to book a vaccination on Leamington telephone line

One reader has said: "Whilst very impressed and grateful by the speed at which the COVID vaccine has been developed, actually booking to get a local appointment for my 96 year old mother is proving extremely frustrating.

"Having been asked to phone the Leamington vaccination line, I have been glued to my phone for nearly four hours now.

"I started at 9am and was slowly moving down a queue - after about 35 minutes I was cut off, this has been repeated several times, on many other attempts I’ve not even made it to the queue and have been asked to call back later.

"I even got to number 1 in the queue on one occasion to be abruptly told to call back later!

"I imagine many people may not have my tenacity so yet again the most vulnerable are suffering.

"What is happening?

"Do they need more people taking calls or have they sent out too many invitations to patients?

"Surely they could have predicted the potential high percentage take up for vaccine appointments?"

Peter Sturtz, 87, recevied the text message to call the line and then tried to get through on the line last night and this morning and was cut off both times after waiting in the queue.

"It's maddening.

"I don't know what they can do apart from sending out emails allocating specific times for people but it would be a massive job.

"This vaccination is a really important thing and you would have thought it would have better organised."

Residents are advised to only call the line if they have received an invite to do so.