Practices have been overwhelmed by over-70s seeking vaccination – while in many cases they are struggling to complete the programme for the over-80s, it has been reported.

According to some reports, vaccine supplies continued to be diverted to areas lagging behind in the first phase of the programme – especially where risk of infection has been high.

The Institute of General Practice Management has now written to NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens warning of the impact on practices and their staff, the Times reports. The institute said phones were “jammed with patients in the extended cohorts asking us how and when they can book their vaccinations.” The letter states that the confusion is “stopping those in need of care getting through and leaving our teams answering questions that we could have been better prepared for.” It adds: “Being the last to know is having a detrimental impact on our staff, potentially damaging the relationship between practices and patients when they are unable to get the appointment the government has promised them.”

Dr Peter Weeks, a GP from south Cumbria and north Lancashire, said: “The frustration is that we can do over 800 vaccines per day but are receiving approximately 1,000 a week. General practice does mass vaccination every year at scale and efficiently. Given adequate supplies we could complete the programme much faster hence the frustration.”

Speaking yesterday health secretary Matt Hancock said the aim is to complete vaccination of over-80s within four weeks. With four million vaccinations undertaken, the programme has reached 6% of the population of England with the south west of the country achieving 10%.

According to a second report today, in the Daily Telegraph, practices have also been ordered to create “reserve lists” of people who can be called at short notice to use up vaccine doses that remain unused. An NHS England spokesperson said: “Local vaccination sites should be managing their appointment lists to ensure all appointments are filled and they have a back-up list of patients and staff who can receive the vaccine at short notice.”

In Wales GPs reacted angrily to comments by the country’s first minister Mark Drakeford suggested vaccinations could be rationed. In an interview, Mr Drakeford said there was “no point” in using up all the available doses, expressing concern this would leave vaccination teams idle. But Welsh BMA chair Dr David Bailey said: “Frontline staff are risking their lives to help others – the priority must be to get the second dose administered to those who have received the first, and to accelerate first doses for all remaining vaccinations to ensure maximum protection for staff and patients. We are asking Welsh Government to stop sitting on supplies and get on with it.”

The UK yesterday recorded 37,535 cases of infection and 599 deaths from the virus. This means a 22% reduction in the seven day average of infections. However, the UK now has the world’s highest rate of reported deaths from the virus, according to some reports. However other analysts showed that with 1.3 deaths per thousand, the UK has still fared better than Italy, Czechia, Slovenia and Belgium, which has suffered 1.7 deaths per thousand people.

The Health Service Journal reported that the acceleration in numbers of patients arriving in hospital is now slowing, meaning that numbers are still increasing but may stabilise soon. In the south west numbers have grown by 26% in a week but have not increased in the south east, it reported. In London numbers have grown by 3%.

Northern Ireland, meanwhile, was reported to be bracing itself for the peak of the pandemic. British Medical Association chair Dr Tom Black said: “It is likely that over the next few weeks doctors will be asked to work in a new location or provide support to areas that are very overstretched. Many have already had planned annual leave cancelled. Speaking to members I know they will as always do their best for patients, but many of them have told me that they are already exhausted and deeply demoralised.”