An East Lancashire GP says NHS doctors could face a busy few weeks as the government set a new booster vaccination target.

Doctor Abdul Mannan, of Hazelvalley Family Practice in Haslingden, says skipped lunch breaks and 12 hour days could become the new norm as doctors try and keep up with the demand of routine appointments and the new vaccination deadline.

However, he has urged the public not to worry about the NHS strain and book their booster vaccine as soon as possible.

Last night (12 December), Boris Johnson said there is a “tidal wave of Omicron coming” and brought the booster deadline forward by a month.

The Prime Minister said over-18s will be offered an injection by the end of the year in England.

Boris Johnson said getting all adults boosted by January will require "an extraordinary effort" and acknowledged that "some other appointments will need to be postponed until the new year".

Doctor Abdul Mannan said staff will be looking at an even busier festive period in the coming weeks.

He said: “It’s madness at the moment and we are chasing our tails.

“Now we are going to have to do extra booster clinics and cancel lunch, cancel breaks and have 12 hour days… I can’t see any other way around it.”

Dr Mannan said there had been talks of bringing to booster deadline forward so last night’s announcement wasn’t as surprising for him as it may have been for the public.

However, he believes the government should have taken action long ago.

Lancashire Telegraph: Doctor Abdul Mannan Doctor Abdul Mannan

He said: “I think the decision has been made at the wrong time and we should have prepared for this much earlier.

“Boosters were available months ago. Social distancing measure and masks – these things should have been implemented a long time ago, not now.”

Due to the new deadline, the NHS may also have to postpone some appointments but Doctor Mannan said this is something staff at his practice are trying to avoid.

He said: “The impression I am getting from my colleagues is that we do not want to put other work on the back-burner.

“It is delaying care and we need to keep seeing people for routine care which is just as important.

“In my practice we are trying not to cancel anything and somehow do both.”

However, Mr Mannan acknowledged that with staff illnesses and Christmas leave this will prove to be a challenge.

He said: “A lot of us are down on staff. Some staff have left after facing public backlash. Staff are human beings and falling ill themselves.

“We have fewer staff to work with so it means the same people have to do the day work and also have to manage booster clinics as well.

“We’ve told staff to take their minimum annual leave this Christmas and only what they need – no one is taking extended leave.

“For some staff we are trying to cancel leave so that anything they don’t need and trying to minimize as much leave as possible, otherwise it’s just not workable.”

However, despite the tough few weeks facing NHS staff due to the booster deadline change Dr Mannan says it’s important that the public get their third vaccine.

He said: “Get your boosters – the evidence is very clear that even if you are double vaccinated, Omicron is escaping that immunity.

“Don’t worry about pressures on the NHS, just get your booster. That should be the public’s priority.”

 

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