Caller forced to drive elderly mother on 1200 mile round trip for Covid jab
4 February 2021, 08:54
This caller told LBC she will have to drive her elderly mother on a 1200 mile round trip home to the Highlands so she can be vaccinated in her local surgery.
Pam in Suffolk has her 84 year old mother living with her as she is recovering from a broken back.
Her mother has been registered at the local GP as a temporary resident but is not eligible to receive the vaccine in the Suffolk surgery.
"What I'm looking at is driving her almost 600 miles to get back to Scotland for an appointment on Wednesday so she can be vaccinated at her local surgery," Pam said.
"I just think it's absurd, as a temporary resident she can be treated at our local surgery here for other things but Covid seems to be exempt."
Pam said she intends to drive the 600 miles there and back in one day despite the weather, telling Nick, "If you look at the forecast it's snow and ice for at least the next week."
"That was my plan B because I was getting so desperate."
She said that there must be many other people who are vulnerable and living with family who are also exempt from receiving the jab local to the houses in which they are staying.
Pam's mother has been staying for two months: "I've got nowhere with my surgery, I've contacted my local MP who said we're looking into it.
"Time's ticking by and it's so depressing watching the news hearing how many over-80s have been vaccinated and the over-70s are now on the rollout and she's sitting there with nothing."
Her mother has an appointment in Scotland next Wednesday at 10:10am so Pam is planning on driving her up on Monday, and giving her a day to recover due to her serious back injury.
"The issue with a journey like that is she can't do it in one go, we have to stop," Pam said.
Nick remarked it was like driving to the South of France and back for an appointment.
Nick put the predicament to vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi when he appeared on LBC moments later.
Mr Zahawi urged LBC to "absolutely" pass the case on to prevent Pam and her mother making the "perilous" journey to the Scottish Highlands for a jab.
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