Practices are facing the cancellation of thousands of flu vaccine appointments as the programme became the latest to be hit by the UK’s logistics crisis.

Vaccine company Seqirus has warned deliveries may be delayed by up to two weeks because of “freight challenges.” GP leaders and practice managers reacted in dismay, warning that the delays could do further damage to fraught relationships with patients.

Dr Gary Howsam, vice-chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “Practices plan meticulously each year to deliver the flu vaccination programme on a mass scale and it is essential that as many people as possible in at-risk groups get their vaccination as early into the flu season as possible. A delay of even a couple of weeks is going to have a big impact on practices and their patients, especially when GPs are already dealing with the fallout caused by the shortage of blood test bottles and the anxiety this is causing.”

British Medical Association GP committee chair Dr Richard Vautrey called on the government to take action to ensure supplies. He said: “Many practices will have spent the last few days and weeks meticulously planning for their flu vaccination programme, inviting and booking patients in for their jabs, only now to have to contact them all again to cancel or reschedule appointments. This causes a huge increase in staff’s already unsustainable workloads, and inconvenience and unneeded anxiety for patients who will be keen to be protected ahead of winter.

“This is on top of the chaos already being caused by the shortage of blood test bottles, which is leaving hardworking doctors and practice teams bearing the brunt of understandable frustrations from patients when the problem is well outside of their control.”

The Institute of General Practice Management said: “These additional challenges, alongside an already overstretched workload and exhausted workforce, are causing huge problems for primary care and will undoubtedly lead to more frustration from patients who will naturally assume primary care is at fault for delays in administration of both vaccination programmes.”

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