Shropshire GP: Staff exhausted amid Covid vaccine push

Dr Jess Harvey said it had been a "very stressful" 72 hours since it was announced all over-18s would be offered a booster by 31 December

A doctor says staff at her general practice are exhausted amid a push to offer booster jabs by 31 December to all eligible over-18s who want one.

Jess Harvey said it had been a "very stressful" 72 hours following the prime minister's announcement on Sunday.

"We found out at the same time... as the rest of the general public," she said.

The Shropshire GP added it had created "an expectation" that clinics would be running by the next morning.

"It's been a very stressful time for us in general practice because we are trying to do all this at the same time as doing all of our normal jobs and there is an issue in terms of trying to sort out the logistics. I think it's been almost a year to the day that we started vaccinating."

She said: "I would like to hope that our patients are going to notice very little in terms of my staff - it is a huge amount of work for them to take on at a time when they are exhausted.

"General practice is on its knees because they've had to work so hard. I've never seen my colleagues have to put so much effort into doing things and they have been incredible."

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Dr Harvey, from the Much Wenlock and Cressage Medical Practice, said she asked colleagues on Monday for extra help and they have since "given up their time", "cancelled their Christmas plans [and] they've cancelled holidays".

She urged patients to still contact GPs if they had concerns about symptoms, "because that's what we're there for; help us to help you".

"Don't say at home," she added. "Let us decide whether it's urgent or not."

But she asked the public to also try to "be understanding, because we're trying to do all this alongside everything else; we are tired just like everybody else is".

She said her staff had faced abuse and aggression on a daily basis and that they "deserve a bit of just mutual respect".

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The GP said she and her colleagues who have "gone above and beyond for a long time now", were nevertheless looking forward to Christmas.

"It's been the end of a long year and I think what general practice really needs is just a bit of a Christmas break."

She added her surgery would be going "full throttle" and would try to "squeeze out every last bit of energy that we have" to help in the vaccine effort.