UK government opens vaccine floodgates to over-45s, NHS website predictably falls over
- Reference: 1618311899
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/04/13/covid_vaccine_site/
- Source link:
Despite an impressive take-up by the over-50s, it appears healthcare bigwigs did not anticipate the demand once the over-45s were permitted to join in. If only there was [2]some record of just how many there are in that age group.
[3]
The brakes were taken off last night as the [4]vaccines became available to "all adults over 50, the clinically vulnerable and health and social care workers," although [5]some might quibble with the definition of "clinically vulnerable."
If you’re over 45 and in England, looks like you can book your Covid jab on the NHS website now. I’m not, but I wish those who are eligible the best of luck! — Alex von Tunzelmann (@alexvtunzelmann) [6]April 12, 2021
[7]
By this morning the [8]NHS site had been updated to reflect that over-45s were also permitted to book in for a jab. Tweets were shared, WhatsApp groups lit up, and the website fell over with time-outs and "Bad Gateway" errors.
Even the BBC's technology desk editor was not immune.
Grrr [9]pic.twitter.com/pYFOqyeOhd — Leo Kelion (@LeoKelion) [10]April 13, 2021
The Register contacted the NHS to find out what had befallen its service and NHS Digital responded to say it was looking into the issue, directing us to this freshly laid Tweet.
We are aware that some users are experiencing delays when accessing the vaccine booking service. We are working to investigate the issue as a priority and minimise the impact on service users. — NHS Digital (@NHSDigital) [11]April 13, 2021
The patient's symptoms look like a classic case of failing to scale to meet a predictable demand.
Still, both the efficiency of the rollout of the vaccine in the UK and the willingness of citizens to proffer an arm is a thing to behold. The odd wobble of the booking site is unlikely to deter any who have patiently waited their turn.
Patience was eventually rewarded this morning for this hack with booking reference numbers issued for both the first and second appointments (the vaccines in use in the UK are two-jab affairs).
We would, however, suggest taking a screenshot of the details – not all confirmation emails have arrived.
[12]
Should readers qualify and wish to get themselves jabbed, our advice is to have a cup of tea and then try, try and try again. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/12/ons_census_data_security/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YHXAGkwBajw55KNQuyXIIAAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-hits-vaccination-target-as-pm-praises-precious-protection-offered-by-jabs
[5] https://twitter.com/dannyjpalmer/status/1381881706207191043
[6] https://twitter.com/alexvtunzelmann/status/1381719863975161865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YHXAGkwBajw55KNQuyXIIAAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
[9] https://t.co/pYFOqyeOhd
[10] https://twitter.com/LeoKelion/status/1381871483799097344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11] https://twitter.com/NHSDigital/status/1381898756744953856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YHXAGkwBajw55KNQuyXIIAAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
So your real issue is not the availability of the vaccine, but your availability to have it on any given day.
So what? Everyone else has to wait for you, even if they live 300 miles away?
And chances are, this will be one of the alternative jabs, so not applicable to you anyway.
If only there was some way of flexing up and down on platform capacity in a cost-effective manner, then this sort of problem could be avoided.
over 45s - over 50s
There can't be that much difference between the two groups in terms of numbers and willingness to jump straight onto the booking website?
Re: over 45s - over 50s
I think one difference us GPs were contacting the over 50s before the announcment for that group. I know by my parents they were doing the over 50's two weeks before the "announcement" as they were well ahead.
Re: There can't be that much difference ...
That's also what I would have thought - but, on the face of it, the evidence seems to differ.
Re: There can't be that much difference ...
Had a GP contact text at lunchtime today inviting me for mine (I'm 49 tomorrow) at a regional centre.
That said I had already booked in anyway at the local hospital via the website first thing this morning (my better half is a former NHS pharmacist so is used to this kinda thing), and it's due to be in my arm Thursday lunchtime...
And will be very glad to have it, must say.
Re: There can't be that much difference ...
Everyone in the uk between 45 and 50. 66 million of us, 50 isn't massively old, say about 5% of the population in that range (assuming it's not equal all the way up to 100 but more crowded with the younger) is 3.3 million people. That's enough to stress the auto scaling behaviour.
Re: over 45s - over 50s
Possibly an inverse relationship between age and mad interweb skillz
Re: over 45s - over 50s
Yes, us oldies are actually competent - these young whippersnappers are probably clicking the wrong button or getting distracted by videos of fluffy kittens.
Re: over 45s - over 50s
When I (over 50 that I am) started using the internet, the introductory document started "The Internet is not just Usenet".
Where's my coat, it's the one with the Gopher RFCs in the pocket.
Re: over 45s - over 50s
Do you realise how many hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars it could cost the net to transmit your message?
(Paraphrase of the warning from several usenet newsreader programs… :-D)
"NHS Digital responded to say it was looking into the issue, directing us to this freshly laid Tweet."
I hate organisations that do that. Not everyone wants to use twitter to obtain information
> Not everyone wants to use twitter to obtain information
I personally agree with you, but if Twitter is good enough to govern the USA with, it must be enough to keep the masses informed...
NHS England <> "The UK's National Health Service"
As usual on The Register, it needs to be pointed out that NHS England <> "The UK's National Health Service"
You would have hoped by now that The Register journalists would have got the message that the NHS in the UK is not a single entity and each country of the UK is handling COVID vaccinations differently. But apparently not.
Re: NHS England <> "The UK's National Health Service"
I came here to say exactly that.
> The UK's National Health Service
> If you’re over 45 and in England
So which is it Richard Speed?
There is not really an NHS UK - there is NHS England and Wales which is what El Reg usually means when they say NHS UK, there is also NHS Scotland and NHS Northern Ireland which have different policies, procedures and management. Not that the English journos at El Reg either know or care despite me pointing this out on every NHS story for the last 20 years because they always write NHS UK.
Learn to do your job properly Richard and investigate the details of a story for once.
Re: NHS England <> "The UK's National Health Service"
"there is NHS England and Wales"
AFAIK Wales want to do their own thing anyway, at least as far as prescriptions are concerned.
Re: NHS England <> "The UK's National Health Service"
GIG Cymru (NHS Wales) is not the same as NHS England.
Re: NHS England <> "The UK's National Health Service"
English people (in England [1]) generally just don't understand how devolution works, full stop.
This sort of basic gaffe appears far too often in reporting about organisations in the UK, where it is equally, if not more, common for them to operate differently in each of the 4 nations of the UK, rather than at a UK-wide level (or E&W level, at most).
[1] I know plenty of English people who live in Scotland who also get equally annoyed about this!
I booked mine today and it was a right palaver. First off I booked it on the NHS website first and second jabs. It didn't give me a booking reference and I have had no email. That's for Wednesday so how I'm supposed to go to that is beyond me. Can't rebook as it won't let me past the booking reference I don't have. I called my doctor but they can't help as it's a different system so now I'm booked with them on Saturday and can't cancel the other as I don't have a booking reference. The number I called is an automated one with no way to speak to a person. None of this was a surprise.
Very similar situation.
I've a screen shot of my booking numbers, my wife's attempt got to the end and crashed so we think she has a booking but can't be sure as there is no confirmation number, but we can't "manage the booking" to check as the system needs the number we don't have to continue.
Neither of us have the promised email or text yet (6 hours later at time of writing)
Could be worse
At least you have a single website where you can book.
Here in France the government health website just lists the places where you can get vaccinated, with different criteria applied to different places. e.g "Pfizer for 70+", "health professionals only", "AstraZeneca for over 55s", etc. You then have to try each appropriate one in your your area, in turn, to see if they have any appointments. If they don't have an online presence (pharmacies, many GPs) you have to phone them, one by one. It's taken me two weeks to get an appointment, 30km away, and I ended up with two appointments because one organization contacted me two weeks after I'd made the request on their website, and after I'd already found an appointment elsewhere. Utter shambles.
Joy
Glad to see the UK ordering of vaccine was not handled in the same manner as UK public sector IT. I have to say that is more informative than some of my EU friends are suffering right now. Some have no idea when they will hear about the possibility of being vaccinated as some countries are still working on just the most vulnerable.
What, no Russian hackers involved?
In France, when a minister forgets to require additional capacity for a web service and it predictably falls under the charge, it is attributed to "foreign hackers"...
Was it contracted out
Everything else is...
When you go to the Doctors it is most likely some practice that is contacted to NHS and while we called them NHS hospitals they are owned and run by some trust.
Good thing that it's not going to be needed by those of us who are clinically vulnerable to book our second jabs (since you could only book one when we were invited to book, and we won't be able to book the second until a few days before it's due, and I have to get it on a specific day to fall between other medications which would have a significant impact on the chance of the vaccine doing anything useful anyway).