Front-line Royal Infirmary staff "forgotten about" with concerns over vaccine roll out "repeatedly ignored"

The "vast majority" of front-line NHS workers at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary are still waiting to be vaccinated against coronavirus, according to a staff nurse.

Earlier this week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said 95 per cent of such workers throughout Scotland have now had their first jab.

But the nurse, who chose to remain anonymous, is convinced that figure includes clerical staff and workers who aren't face-to-face with patients. Either that, or the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board isn't up to speed on the rollout at the hospital.

She told Clyde News: "It feels that the Royal Infirmary is lagging behind when it comes to rolling-out the vaccination.

"Managers aren't putting staff forward for vaccinations and the response to staff members sharing the booking link with each other when we had to communication from above was to threaten disciplinary action.

"Now we're left in limbo with when we're getting vaccinated. Board managers and public health are passing the buck between each other.

"The figures the Scottish Government are giving at 95 per cent aren't a true reflection for front-line workers, not here anyway. Nurses, healthcare assistants and doctors are all still waiting on this vaccine while others that aren't face-to-face with patients on a daily basis have received it.

"The vast majority of us haven't been vaccinated. 95 per cent is a very high figure and the Scottish Government haven't released where the figures have come from, whether they're from individual trusts or public health Scotland."

A few staff members at the Infirmary, who were otherwise healthy and under the age of 45, died of the disease last year and the nurse thinks the lack of urgency over vaccinations shows they're being taken for granted at a stage when their dedication is required desperately.

The draining nature of the jobs combined with a lack of "protection" from bosses, has left them feeling like they have "nothing left to give".

She continued: "We've been unfortunate enough in the last few months to lose some of our colleagues to the virus. They were young and healthy workers and left plenty of people behind who loved them dearly.

"A lot of staff during the second wave have suffered from the virus which has affected staff absences and morale, which management is aware of. We're constantly trying to give our best, but we haven't got much left to give.

"The feeling is a mixture of anger and frustration. It feels that we're just numbers we're given for payroll. It feels like the losses we've suffered aren't enough for management to make substantial changes and push the rollout of the vaccination programme and make sure we're protected.

"It's anger that nobody is taking responsibility for this or holding their hands up and telling us what's going on. It's frustration that this has been going on for nearly a year and at the start people were clapping for us to say thanks for our efforts, whereas now we're just being left to get on with it and any concerns are falling on deaf ears.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde responded saying: "There is no truth to these claims.

"NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has now administered more than 60,000 vaccinations to frontline health and social care staff and care home workers, including 37,000 COVID-19 vaccinations at the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital

"We have issued regular all-staff briefings to our staff on the COVID vaccination programme, which we also publish on our website, and we have had a very positive response from staff to this, with a very high uptake.

"We would like to thank all staff across the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area for playing such an important role in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout. "

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