Jackie Baillie has sought reassurance that elderly, vulnerable people will not be sent Covid vaccination appointments dozens of miles from their home ahead of the rollout of the winter booster programme.

Last winter, lengthy queues formed at vaccination clinics in Alexandria and Dumbarton as pensioners were double booked for their slots with limited numbers of vaccination stations being set up.

Meanwhile, those in Helensburgh and Lomond were given appointments which would have meant a 130-mile trip, some of which would have been by boat.

The Dumbarton constituency MSP raised the issue of vaccinations with the Cabinet Secretary for Health earlier this month and is keen to ensure that the winter programme goes smoothly.

She also urged more emphasis to be placed on antiviral medication being made available to all those on the former shielding list. And she urged the Cabinet Secretary to push for the availability of prophylactics. These important drugs can be used to prevent people from catching Covid in the first place with some immunosuppressed patients exhibiting a weak immune response to vaccinations.

Jackie Baillie said: “I am desperately keen to ensure that the chaos that ensued last winter and indeed in spring when people in their 80s were being given appointments dozens of miles away is avoided at all costs.

“Unfortunately lessons weren’t learned from the previous winter and my office was inundated with calls from pensioners in March who had been called for their boosters, worried they would have to make the lengthy trip. It was unacceptable and it cannot happen again. I have written to Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership to make this plain.

“In West Dunbartonshire, patients were left to wait for up to two hours in the cold and rain for appointments with slots double-booked. I would encourage people to take up the vaccination which is still the best way of ensuring people don’t fall seriously ill.

“I will continue to stress to the Scottish Government the importance of prophylactics and antivirals in people who were on the shielding list in March 2020 and who continue to live in fear of catching Covid. This is essential if all of society is to recover from the pandemic.”