Balerno pensioner, 72, cannot get Covid-19 vaccine despite pleas to First Minister, Scottish government and NHS Lothian

A pensioner feelsshe has been left behind having never received a letter or phone call regarding a Covid vaccine appointment, and is now pleading with the Scottish government to help her get the jag.

Marjorie Campbell, 72, has seen her husband, friends and neighbours vaccinated vaccine appointments in her area are now being sent to those under the age of 70.

On February 15, Nicola Sturgeon claimed that her target to offer all those in the top four priority groups had been met, but Mrs Campbell believes she has been missed.

She has made several calls to the government-run vaccine helpline, who have no record of her and have advised she contacts NHS Lothian and her GP.

Marjorie Campbell, 72, has not yet received a vaccine appointment despite pleas to the First Minister

When she has followed their instructions and contacted the health board and her doctor’s surgery, she has been passed back to the vaccine helpline.

As of Wednesday, her GP surgery advised they were not able to assist further in arranging the vaccine, and the helpline are still referring her back to the NHS.

As a last resort, she has followed Ms Sturgeon’s suggestion to contact her directly by the First Minister’s email address. Having initially contacted Ms Sturgeon on February 9 and followed up on February 13, she has not received a reply or even an acknowledgement.

Speaking to the Evening News, Mrs Campbell said: “It is the sheer frustration of being passed from pillar to post from all the angles I have gone to to try and get this sorted.

“You’re told by Nicola to email, and she never gets back, NHS never phone back and the vaccine helpline haven’t called back either.

“You never hear back from anyone, all they say is that they can’t help.

“I feel like I have fallen through the cracks and I simply want to know, how do I get my vaccine?”

Mrs Campbell also contacted her local councillor Graeme Bruce who has also attempted to raise the issue and secure her vaccine appointment.

Councillor Bruce said: “This elderly lady in the 70 to 75 age group is rightly anxious and stressed having been missed by this vaccination programme.

“It is quite clear this programme run by the Scottish government is failing when she was told you are number 109 in the queue!

“With her husband and others in her age group already vaccinated it is quite clear something is wrong not forgetting the fact she emailed Nicola Sturgeon like she was instructed to and still hasn’t received a response.

“She is being passed from pillar to post which is totally unacceptable and this Scottish government needs to get their finger out and sort this shambles.”

According to the weekly Public Health Scotland figures, 40,339 people in the city of Edinburgh have received their first dose of a vaccine as of February 7.

Weekly Public Health Scotland figures, published every Wednesday but compiled on Monday, have again shown NHS Lothian has the lowest vaccination rate out of all Scottish health boards.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “All letters for vaccinations are being prioritised and issued as quickly as possible. As the First Minister said earlier this week, we are satisfied that we met our target to offer vaccines to everyone over 70, and everyone who has an extreme, clinical vulnerability, by mid-February.

“If you are over 70 or shielding and have not received a letter, please contact your GP or local NHS health board by phone or via the new online form at NHS inform.”

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