Key Summary
- While last year the Covid jabs were provided for free to anyone 65 years old and over, this year the eligible age bracket was raised to 75.
- However, the NHS website booking system was not calibrated accordingly and it failed to screen out patients who were not eligible for the vaccination.
- Hence, lots of people turned up at pharmacies seeking free injections, only to be told they were not eligible.
A new survey by the National Pharmacy Association has found that nine in 10 (88 per cent) pharmacies experienced verbal or physical intimidation from patients who were ineligible for free Covid vaccinations.
The changes in the eligibility criteria of patients for COVID-19 vaccination this winter led to chaos at the start of the winter 2025 COVID-19 vaccination season in October.
While last year the jabs were provided for free to anyone 65 years old and over and those with chronic or long-term conditions, this year the eligible age bracket was raised to 75.
However, the NHS website booking system was not calibrated accordingly and it failed to screen out patients who were not eligible for the vaccination.
Hence lots of people turned up at pharmacies seeking free injections, only to be told they were not eligible, and this led to heated exchanges.
Pharmacies reported to the NPA having been regularly abused by a minority of frustrated patients, with some even reporting being spat at or pushed.
The survey also found that at least half of an average pharmacy’s Covid vaccine bookings were made by patients who were not eligible, but because the NHS system was flawed they were able to book.
Although the full detail is still to be understood, the NPA estimates pharmacies could be owed at least £2 million a day in wasted costs.
The NPA wants the NHS to provide compensation to pharmacies, who had staff time wasted and resources diverted to manage this problem.
The survey also found that NHS England failed to communicate to individual pharmacies the rationale for changing long standing criteria for the vaccinations.
NPA chief executive Henry Gregg said, “This was a problem of the NHS’s own making that should have been avoided.
“Our data shows this has come at a significant personal and financial cost to community pharmacies across the country.
“It is particularly concerning to hear reports of physical intimidation from a minority of frustrated patients.
“It is disgusting to learn of pharmacists being spat at by disgruntled individuals and any physical intimidation or abuse is utterly unacceptable.
“Although some of the cost to pharmacies can be quantified, such as staff time wasted or the cost of vaccination supply, other consequences such as the loss of reputation and the impact of abuse cannot be.
“The NHS must learn the lessons from this issue for future years. This includes doing the right thing and compensating pharmacies for losses made during this process.
The Community Pharmacy England (CPE) had earlier made a representation for compensation for pharmacies, which had to bear the brunt of patients' frustration and anger.
However, NHS England said that further funding was not available and cited the considerable work they had done to improve communications.
