AN ACTION plan to avoid a repeat of NHS Fife’s flu vaccination shambles, which saw thousands of people struggle to get their annual jab, has been put in place.

An independent review was carried out after the health board was unable to cope with contact from 75,000 over-65s who had all received letters on the same day telling them to book an appointment.

Last month, health chiefs said sorry for the anxiety and distress caused and vowed they would learn from the experience.

A subsequent investigation by the head of corporate governance and NHS board secretary, Gillian McIntosh, and former NHS Fife director of workforce Barbara Anne Nelson said “significant delivery issues” were experienced which resulted in delays in assigning appointments to patients.

Dr McIntosh said: “The issues with the seasonal flu programme have caused significant reputational damage to NHS Fife and distress and anxiety to individual patients.

“It is critical the board learns from the incident and puts in place mitigating factors to prevent similar reoccurrence in future immunisation programmes, including the anticipated large-scale delivery of a Covid vaccine.”

Board chairperson Tricia Marwick said: “There is no doubt that at the beginning of the flu programme, we were extremely disappointed that it didn’t go better than it did. These lessons have been learned for the Covid-19 vaccine programme.”

Recommendations include enhancing technology, providing clear guidance for the organisational management of large immunisation programmes and the enhancement and standardisation of reporting, particularly around the escalation of key risks.

The review has also called for all key stakeholders, at all levels to continue to exercise a high level of challenge of delivery plans and, where possible, a substantive workforce be identified to support large-scale immunisation programmes.

NHS Fife chief executive, Carol Potter, said: “What the exercise has shown is everyone’s commitment to reflect and improve. We have delivered somewhere in excess of 90,000 vaccinations to date.

“That is really positive progress around our target for this year but we are not being complacent and we are continuing to focus our efforts and energies in the coming weeks ahead to provide seasonal flu vaccines for everyone who is eligible for one.”

Fife Greens MSP Mark Ruskell had highlighted the issue in the Scottish Parliament and said: "I’m glad there will be far more community and mobile vaccination centres in place.

“We saw big problems in Fife with centralised delivery of flu vaccines, which seriously disadvantaged people without access to a car.”