Coronavirus Plymouth: 'Hour-and-a-half' wait for jabs

Long queues formed at the Plymouth Argyle ground

People have been queuing for "more than an hour-and-a-half" in freezing weather for coronavirus jabs.

The backlog at Home Park in Plymouth led to long queues and frustration among some of those waiting.

The Mayflower Grandstand at Plymouth Argyle's ground was turned into a vaccine centre in January.

Plymouth NHS Trust blamed "multiple factors" including overbooking and people turning up too early and without an appointment.

Health chiefs said some people who did not have an appointment came to get a vaccine

One woman, who said she had been waiting for more than an hour-and-a-half, said: "They're doing a brilliant job but it's disgusting that you've got to queue out here.

"People could end up going down with pneumonia."

Extra vaccinators were brought in to help, Plymouth NHS Trust said

Sue Wilkins, director of mass vaccinations at Plymouth NHS Trust, said the online booking system had been "offering slightly more bookings than we felt we had the capacity to deliver".

She also said "a lot of people attended who did not have an appointment" and some were turning up two or three hours before their slot.

Extra vaccinators had been brought in and the frail and disabled had been brought to the front of the queue.

About 200 people had also been offered vaccinations elsewhere in the city.

"Our team of caring and compassionate nurses are doing their best to see everyone and we have not wanted to turn anyone away," said Ms Wilkins.