People who are over 70 and haven’t had their first vaccination can contact the NHS National Booking Service for an appointment.
In West Yorkshire, we expect to have reached everyone in the first four priority groups by the middle of February but if you haven’t heard from us yet and want to book an appointment, please visit www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.
This will allow you to choose a time slot and location that suits you. If you are not able to book online you can call 119 free of charge, between 7am and 11pm seven days a week. (Please be aware that phone lines can get very busy so you may prefer to call later in the day when it is can be less busy.)
This is only available for first vaccination appointments and if you are aged 70 or over. Everyone else will still need to wait to be contacted by the NHS when it is their turn for a vaccination or for an appointment for their second vaccination if they don’t already have one.
You still need an appointment to get a vaccination so please do not go to any of the centres unless you have one booked. This is important because booking slots are carefully managed to allow for social distancing and the number of appointments is based on the supply available that day.
GP practices are contacting all patients who are registered as clinically extremely vulnerable and have been asked to shield to ensure they have been offered a vaccination, as well as people in the eligible cohorts who are housebound. If you haven’t been contacted yet, you should hear from your practice this week.
Finding your NHS number
You can still book an appointment if you don’t have your NHS number, provided you are registered with a GP practice. However, it will be quicker if you have your number: this will be on any letter or document you have received from the NHS, including prescriptions, or you can find it online at
Registering with a GP
You can find a GP practice on the NHS.uk website. You will need to fill in a form to register - for some practices you can do this on their website so check there first. Alternatively, you can download a GMS1 registration form on GOV.UK or arrange a time to pick up a registration form from the GP surgery. If you have problems registering with a GP practice, call the NHS England Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 22 33.
Over 70s bookings: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just go to a vaccination centre without an appointment?
No. You will still need to make an appointment in advance before going to any vaccination service. This is important because booking slots are carefully managed to allow for social distancing and the number of appointments is based on the supply available that day.
What if I don’t live close to one of the large Vaccination Centres?
The National Booking Service also handles booking for pharmacy-led vaccination services across West Yorkshire. Only a small number of people don’t live within travelling distance of at least one of these services. Alternatively, you can also choose to wait to be contacted by your local GP services. If they haven’t been in contact already, this will be soon.
Why haven’t I been contacted about a vaccination?
If you are 70 or over or on the Shielded Patient List, then it is likely that you have been contacted by the NHS already. If you haven’t, this could be for a number of reasons, but is most likely to be because you are not registered with a GP or have recently moved, and we therefore don’t have your contact details.
If you have never registered with a GP or haven’t been to a GP for a number of years, we would recommend speaking with your local practice about registering. As well as getting access to Covid-19 vaccines, being registered with a GP also means you are invited to important health checks such as for cancer or heart disease, and can access care easier when you need it.
More information on registering with a GP is available at https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/how-to-register-with-a-gp-surgery/
How do I get an NHS number?
You may already have an NHS number but just don’t know it. If you don’t know your NHS number, you can find out if you have one and what it is at: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-number
If you don’t have an NHS number this is likely to be because you are not registered with a GP. If this is the case, we would recommend speaking with your local practice about registering.
What if I book an appointment through the NHS website or 119 and I need to rearrange it?
If you need to rearrange an appointment that you booked through the NHS website, you can do this through the ‘manage your appointments’ section on the booking page. If you booked through 119, you can also ring to rearrange your appointment.
If you can’t attend your appointment for any reason, please cancel or rearrange it so that the appointment slot can be given to someone else who needs it.
Can I still book if I previously had an appointment but didn’t attend or cancel it?
Yes. Only those who have had a vaccination recorded on our system are unable to book again.
A letter came to my home but it was for someone else. Can I still use it to book an appointment?
No. Unless you are aged 70 or over or on the Shielded Patients List you will not be able to book an appointment. If you receive a letter for someone who does not live at your address anymore, please return to sender in the usual way so that our records can be updated.
If I’ve already had my first dose will I be able to book my second in this way?
No. You will only be able to book if our records show you have yet to have your first dose. If you have already had your first dose, please wait for the NHS to contact you about your second.
Will this approach also apply to the next priority groups when it is their turn to be vaccinated?
No. For the moment this only applies to people aged 70 and over and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
When the time comes to start vaccinating other priority groups, this will be by invitation only so that we can manage the supplies of vaccines available in the fairest possible way.
