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Vaccine appointments delayed due to supply issues in Matt Hancock's own seat

Elderly residents in Matt Hancock’s own constituency had their jab appointments delayed due to vaccine supply issues, the Mirror has learned.

Jabs had to be postponed in the last week at four out of five centres run by the Suffolk GP Federation, including in the Health Secretary’s West Suffolk seat.

A 78-year-old woman and her 83-year-old husband had an appointment booked for Tuesday morning this week.

But they received a text message saying it was cancelled “due to vaccine supplies”.

The couple, who were booked in at the EpiCentre in Haverhill, later managed to get rescheduled jabs on Wednesday.

Their family were among several who complained of postponed appointments on a local Facebook group.

A spokesman for the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System confirmed to the Mirror: “A small number of vaccination appointments have been rearranged in the last week due to a supply issue, which has now been resolved.”

He added: “Across Suffolk and north east Essex we have 22 primary care network vaccination sites and two community pharmacy sites up and running which have vaccinated thousands of patients.

“Many more locations, including larger vaccination centres, are about to go live.”

It is understood the issue affected four of the five vaccination centres currently run by the Federation.

Days earlier the EpiCentre saw long queues of people waiting to be vaccinated, with some elderly and vulnerable people waiting outside for more than an hour on Sunday night.

At the time, Suffolk GP Federation David Pannell apologised and said the issue was caused by the shelf life of the Pfizer jab being half a day shorter than expected.

It is thought jabs were rescheduled this week for a similar reason.

One person on Facebook said: “I booked by mother’s appointment for Tuesday morning, was told they also had to cancel it because of lack of vaccines.

“I do believe we will get this on and off, so many people to vaccinate, there are going to be hiccups.”

Another said: “I was a bit disappointed to be told my grandmother would get vaccine last Monday, then told middle of week, then a letter to say will be end of week, weekend, or beginning of next week! We now have a date.”

It comes amid rising concerns about what ministers have called a “lumpy” supply of vaccines across the UK.

Some 4,661,293 people have now received the first dose of the vaccine in England, a rise of 357,563 in one day.

But Downing Street has fuelled fears that vaccine supplies will be cut to regions of England that have pulled ahead in giving jabs.

Ministers have been accused of “punishing” northern regions for being too successful with their vaccine rollout.

Last night the Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi claimed it was “not true” that doses would be diverted.

But Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care for NHS England, admitted supplies would need to be “targeted”.

And No10 repeatedly refused to deny supplies to the North East and Yorkshire, which is ahead of the rest of the country, could be cut.

A spokesman instead emphasised that supply will be boosted to areas that have fallen behind.

While the North East England & Yorkshire has given first doses to 67% of its over-80s, London has given first doses to only 50%.

The Mirror understands MPs raised “serious questions” about delivery of jabs with Mr Zahawi in a crunch Zoom briefing this morning - with Yorkshire and the East of England being particular points of concern.

“I've got GPs sitting twiddling their thumbs when they were expecting vaccines but now not receiving them,” said one MP who attended the meeting.