Patients invited to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Salisbury could accidentally end up with two appointments, a local surgery has warned.

Salisbury Medical Practice said those booked in to receive their jab at Salisbury Cathedral might also be sent a letter offering a place at the new large scale vaccine site at City Hall.

Similar double bookings have happened in the north of the country, the practice said.

Patients having two slots – and then not turning up for one they don’t need – could have a “huge impact” as medical staff look to inject as many people as possible, it added.

It urged people to take extra care to avoid making duplicate bookings.

The process in Salisbury is changing slightly, as the new vaccine centre at City Hall - expected to be carrying out 900 jabs per day in the coming weeks - means eligible residents will receive a letter inviting them to make an appointment of their choice.

Previously patients had been directly invited to a GP-led site, such as the one which has been operating at Salisbury Cathedral.

Steps are being taken to resolve the possible problem of double invites, the practice’s post on Facebook about the issue added.

The Salisbury Medical Practice Facebook post in full

The post, published on Friday just after 11am, said:

Important information regarding COVID-19 Vaccinations

NHS England will shortly be sending invitation letters to all patients in the appropriate cohorts who have not yet been vaccinated, inviting them to a mass vaccination centre in Salisbury (including patients living up to 45 miles from the site).

This may mean that patients who are booked in to our local vaccination hub at Salisbury Cathedral are contacted again inviting them to book at another location in the City (by letter or telephone). We have heard reports of this happening in the North of the county.

Wiltshire CCG are currently working to solve this issue however this may result in some confusion and duplicate bookings. Please do not book more than one appointment as patients not attending for their vaccine has a huge impact on the local clinics we are working hard to provide.

Thank you for your support.

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