Scottish Government apologises over vaccination letter delays

The Scottish Government has apologised for Covid-19 vaccination letter delays caused by a fault in its appointment system.

In a statement, the Government said the problem with the system held up letters for “a number” of patients but was unable to provide a figure.

The apology comes after Nicola Sturgeon said a “particularly high” number of people failed to turn up for coronavirus vaccines over the weekend.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have identified an issue with our appointment system which has delayed appointment notifications being distributed to a number of patients across Scotland.

“Appointment letters will be issued this week and we believe that patients should still receive four days’ notice of their scheduled appointment.

“We appreciate that this may not be enough notice for everyone affected. The appointment letter contains details on how to view or amend your appointment online. Our Covid-19 vaccination helpline is also available on 0800 030 8013 to assist with rescheduling if required.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused but would urge everyone to attend their scheduled appointment where possible to allow us to continue to vaccinate at pace.”

Reports indicated around half of all of those due to be vaccinated at Glasgow’s Hydro centre on Saturday and Sunday did not show up amid efforts to speed up Scotland’s vaccination programme.

It is understood the Government is continuing to monitor the situation over missed appointments at the Hydro.

It is also understood to be working with health boards on the level of missed appointments to discover whether the issue is localised or more widespread.