The NHS has apologised and says it will do better next time after a “massive mess-up” at a Covid vaccination clinic in Falmouth after they ran out of booster jabs.

People arriving at the Dracaena Centre on Friday for their booster jabs were faced with “massive” queues and were then told to come back next week, as the clinic had run out of jabs. Many people had been waiting for hours.

The NHS blamed an “unprecedented turnout and high demand in the area” and said it had taken several measures to ensure it didn’t happen again, including putting on more clinics in November to meet the demand and ensuring they had enough vaccines.

One Falmouth man told the Packet that it was an “almighty mess up” and it was not fair on “us old ones” as many people were in their 70s.

“I am just furious that they messed it up,” he said. “It’s not fair for us old ones to be told to come back next week because they have run out of vaccines.

“I did make an official complaint and got a case officer but didn’t feel that they thought it was really of importance. Someone should put them to shame as they’ve made a massive mess up.

“We were told to come back next week but what if they don’t have the vaccines.”

He said he learnt from his taxi driver when they drove in as he overheard the nurses saying they’d run out of vaccines.

He said he’d got a text message from the NHS telling him to go between three and five in the afternoon.

“As I went up the path I saw nurses and a lot of people coming along thinking they were going to get their vaccination when they’d clearly run out.

“They’d known for weeks but they had long queues going in and out through the car park all people in their sixties and seventies. There were cars queuing to get in”

He said he’d been told that some people had been waiting two to three hours before being told the vaccines weren’t available.

“I felt very put out,” he said. “We just got brushed off and told to come back next week.”

In a letter to the Packet, Chris Bickerdike from Falmouth said that he and his wife, who is in a wheelchair, were met with a sizeable queue outside the building when they arrived at lunchtime.

“The lady in charge told me that the queue had been suspended because they were soon to run out of vaccine, some two hours plus before the advertised finish time. Come back next Friday was her suggestion.

“To my knowledge, this time there has been no alternative place in, or close to, Falmouth to get the vaccine. No Atherton Centre, no surgeries, no pharmacies, no Stithians, just nowhere else.”

In a statement issued to the Packet, the NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board apologised for the inconvenience many faced at the Dracaena Centre.

“Due to an unprecedented turnout and high demand in the area, the clinic did experience long queues and indeed run out of vaccines,” they said.

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“While we aimed to serve as many people as possible, we were not prepared for such a significant number. We understand the frustration of those who waited for extended periods, and we are working to address this for future clinics.”

They said in the coming weeks, they were taking several measures including: Increasing the vaccine supply based on the demand they experienced.

Changing walk-ins to bookable appointments to prevent queues and long waits.

Putting on more clinics at Dracaena Centre into November to meet demand.