There’s definitely the minority community angle but also the immigration one. And my hunch is that a lot of the immigrant population that lives in Hammersmith, Tower Hamlets, Ealing, Brent and so on doesn’t have a GP, don’t use it often, or have lapsed records.

When I moved to the UK, for instance, I was quite surprised that the NI number =/= than the NHS number. In my experience there was only one “state” number that covered everything: tax, health, tax, tax and did I mention tax? And when you’re young you just don’t really care about the GP because, frankly, you don’t use it. I’ve been to mine 4 times in the last 12 years and once because I needed a blood test for work (plus they’re frankly useless, their solution for what turned out to be a stress fracture was “paracetamol”). Many people I know who come from Europe tend to go back “home” to see their own doctors; I did that for dentist and specialist visits.

Add, to all this, a high propensity to move homes and you get a demographics that is hard to intercept with the tactics used by the NHS so far. Maybe some more walk-ins options could be used, and less reliance on the NHS number if at all possible.

Yes, but unfortunately these groups are probably under-represented in the population stats too. If you look at Hillingdon (89.6%) and Hounslow (88.1%), right next to what used to be the UK's largest airport, GPs there seem to have made it happen. But yes it kind of makes sense to go for the lowest hanging fruit at the moment, such as our friend in W6, rather than sending me out my bike to nab the reluctants. I am sure you are right at some point we will have genuine walk-in centres where you get the jab easily rather than trying to work out why someone doesn't have an NHS Number. But I'll use this as an opportunity to repeat my plea to any UK resident lurking here to at least get an NHS Number and ideally get registered - free of charge - relatively hassle free - at a GP surgery near to where they live. Do it today. I did go a few years unregistered when I thought I was invincible, I'm old enough now to know I was wrong.

The England average is 88.9% of 60 plus vaccinated as of 7 March, it will now be 90% plus, so it's not all bad news.

When I lived in Berlin I also returned "home" (to the UK) for all my medical and dental treatment. It doesn't indicate a lack of confidence in the local healthcare but rather a preference for doctors who know you and the ability to communicate clearly.

Well, Hounslow borough also extends well into poshest West London, like Chiswick. I live just north of the border in Ealing and, knowing the Chiswick pensioners, I'm pretty sure that they all were there outside the Practice on day 1 (which doesn't stop them from moaning that the youngsters are coming too near to them).

But if I look at my block of flats, out of 24 apartments we have 20 or so non-British tenants and, on average, 5 moves a year. Average age is fairly young and, with GPs catchment areas being what they are, it's going to be tricky to capture all of them especially when the message being repeated is not to call, they will contact you. Maybe an idea would be to use the council tax registry? I moved house 5 times before settling here and, somehow, Ealing never ever lost my location!

The other thing I'm thinking about, especially for places like Hammersmith, T'Hamlets and so on is... elderly residents being abroad. My OH is operating lots of flights to India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and so on that are packed with elderly folks doing the equivalent of what the snowbirds do over in America.

We keep on being told that London has lost 800,000 residents since 1/1/20. I somehow doubt that the NHS is aware of that.

In my block of eight flats only four are currently occupied. I am sure that at least one of the former residents is on the NHS’ books.

Sometimes good things come to those who wait, based on age I'll well down the list for my jab. Neighbour messaged me to say there's one going if I can get to the GP pronto. Never moved so quick in a long time...... first jab now done. My wife had hers last week so keeps us on a similar trajectory now. Happy days!

I didn't even have to squat outside the centre and be told to go away by the bouncers ;)

Jolly good. I feel like running a rollcall to ensure no-one here gets left out. So @paulaf any news?

Near me, St Albans Gp led clinic group complaining on Twitter of having supply heavily restricted, so they can only open one day a week and are still working their way through cohort 6. Meanwhile the government opens another MVC nearby, effectively serving cohorts 7 & 8. Then again St Albans is very middle class and probably has high vaccine rates and low covid rates. A victim of its own success?
Down the road in Watford, a third centre is opening plus a possible surge testing operation as rates are high.

I ended up with Pfizer, I assume that might limit me to where I can choose to get my second shot as it's less accessible than AZ or is that an incorrect view?

Your vaccine will have been recorded, so the system knows to call you back for your second jab on a Pfizer day. It is unlikely that the system yet knows when that Pfizer day will be in 10 or so weeks time, so it is a case of wait to be contacted.

So in a way you are correct, your choices are more limited, but had you had AZ the only difference would be that you could log on to the booking system in a couple of days time and choose your date and location for the second jab from a list. Worth making a note now of the date in 10 weeks time and don’t plan to disappear for a fortnight.

That makes perfect sense and explains why some of my wife's friends could book their 2nd jab while others couldn't. Thanks!

Essentially the AZ stock is sufficiently assured, easily transported and made in the UK such that AZ second jabs can be reliably forecasted, and allocated against names. Pfizer comes in shipments from Puurs and with many complexities on transportation and storage, hence there isn't a batch specifically allocated for Pfizer against your name. It may work to your advantage in that you could get jab2 sooner rather than later.

St Albans was 85.72% vaccinated for the 60 years plus as of 7 March, so near the UK average but not above it. Your infection rate is about 20 per 100,000, well under half the UK figure (and only 2 new cases yesterday). So yes, I can't argue you should be prioritised! But I very much hope next week there will be a lot more vaccines, and if you are still doing cohort 6 you'll get a lot more the following week on top.

I find it is hard to tell ... like buses there a few politicians who say their fathers were bus drivers and also come along at about the same time :D

CWS that's a coincidence you asked! Hubby was booked in for today, so I did the line "any chance of me being done too as I will be asked soon being 51", fluttered my eyelashes and hey pronto done too! And got a nice autograph from Hugh Bonneville who is volunteering at Midhurst for my niece who is a massive Downton Fan.
As I'm under age will I be able to book my 2nd jab early next week when my records are updated, had the AZ jab, (this is what the admin girl implied) or do I have to wait until I see my group is opened up? Would be nice to tag along to Hubby's pre-booked 2nd jab that's all?

As an aside it seems to make sense to me to invite spouses/partners together if not a massive age gap as we were asked the same questions and told the information at the same time, so I'm sure it saves time doing a couple together rather than separately, especially now we have more supply coming, just an idea, might also save time if receptionists from GPs are phoning people up.