As someone who travels frequently, I’ve gotten into the routine of doing my research on a destination well in advance. But for my most recent trip, I was caught out, not by the widespread delays, cancellations or strikes, but by something completely off my radar: an NHS manager error.
Working remotely during the pandemic allowed me, like many, to sell my London flat (where I had worked for eight years) and return to my home country in Wales. I had my first two Covid shots in London and my booster in Wales. When international borders opened up, I started booking trips, excited at the prospect of visiting friends and family abroad.
Last month I returned from a brilliant last minute trip to Mexico (where there are no Covid restrictions on travel), and only had a few days before going on a family holiday to France. I have checked the requirements – passport (of course) and proof of being fully vaccinated (perfect, I am fully jabbed).
Download my vaccination pass
I logged into the NHS app to make sure everything was OK, only to see the dreaded “login failed” message. I followed the steps to bypass the app and log in online, but got a second message, “There was a problem connecting to your GP practice.”
In order to recover my pass, I would have to upload an ID to prove my identity, but as the post warned, it could take up to seven days. Sailing within 48 hours I started to feel the pressure, but to my relief my ID was approved within a few hours and my pass was issued. When checking the pass I noticed something was missing. Where was my booster? It only listed my first two doses. France requires proof of booster if your second dose was given more than nine months ago. The pass was rendered useless.
Covid pass problems
I embarked on a long and complicated series of phone calls and emails to all the sources I could get my hands on, only to find that my medical records had not been transferred and my booster record was completely gone. Frustrated by a series of dead ends and with time slipping away, I decided the best way forward was a PCR. Due to my rural location and the closing of many test centres, this meant a six hour journey to Birmingham to pass the test, costing me almost £140 in total.
A Welsh government spokesman said: “A small number of people who have moved between Wales and England have experienced problems with vaccination records not being updated in their Covid pass.
“If this happens, people registered with a GP in Wales should contact the Welsh Vaccination Certification Service. Anyone registered with a GP in England should contact 119.” When I contacted my health board, Hywel Dda, I was told that the system for transferring medical records to Wales from outside the country involves a paper transfer, with no electronic process, which could explain why my records hadn’t been updated almost three months later.