THE vaccination programme in Braintree “simply is not working”, claims a council leader after a 90-year-old woman was offered a jab 20 miles away  – despite a pledge that no one would have to travel more than 10.

Braintree Council leader and county councillor Graham Butland told County Hall’s health scrutiny committee: “It is quite clear the primary care networks (PCN) are organising themselves to suit the conveniences of the practices and not the conveniences of the patients.”

Nigel Leonard, who is overseeing the roll-out in Essex, said four further large vaccine sites are set to open in the county this week.

But Mr Butland said more is needed to be done to improve the roll-out across the Braintree district.

Alongside vaccination centres and hospitals, PCNs and community pharmacy sites are now vaccinating patients and health and care workers against coronavirus.

Mr Butland said: “You say the PCNs are now off the mark and it is now working.

“That may be more in the letter than in the spirit of what was done.

“There is a PCN in this district which is offering for people to go to Danbury to receive the vaccination.

“I thought there was a national guarantee that no member of the public would have to travel more than 10 miles.

“Danbury is much more than 10 miles  – it is closer to 16 miles for people in Great Notley to go there.”

He claimed a 90-year-old woman was offered a jab in Runwell – 20 miles from her home in Braintree.

Mr Butland said: “This simply is not working and I really am getting exasperated.

“We are still in this position where it is not working.

“I thought PCNs were meant to be the local approach.

“And it is quite clear they are organising themselves to suit the conveniences of the practices and not the conveniences of the patients.”

Mr Leonard said: “This is unfortunately a slight issue in terms of coverage and the speed at which we are trying to set up as much coverage within the system as possible.

“Obviously as you will be aware we are desperately trying to find a suitable location within the Braintree area for a mass vaccination site.

“This is part of the phasing issue with the speed of trying to set everything up.”

Mr Leonard added: “Once all our vaccination centres are in place – and we are working incredibly hard to bring them all online – that will provide greater coverage across Essex.”