The Prime Minister has botched yet another Covid jabs announcement. Ignored volunteers deserve thanks and support.

Last night the Prime Minister announced on TV - repeated in the headlines of national newspapers - that every adult could have the booster jab by the end of the month.

During today the Department of Health rowed back on the Prime Minister's promise for everyone to 'get their booster before the New Year',

Newcastle Liberal Democrats Health Spokesperson Dr Wendy Taylor said: "Boris Johnson's panicked announcement has once again caused chaos and confusion. Last night he promised people they could get a booster before the New Year, now ministers are moving the goalposts and saying people will only be offered one by then.

"Their failure to prepare properly now means that NHS websites have crashed, lateral flow tests are running out in the community, and everyone working to get people vaccinated have been left scrambling to fix a mess of the government's own making. Last time there was a change in the rules, nobody had prepared and circulated the protocols to those responsible for putting the jabs into people's arms, and there was a delay until instructions came through.

"The need for local volunteers to underpin the programme has never been so great. They aren't thanked as often as they should, and we hope they don't feel diminished and not appreciated by talk of bringing in the army.

"Many patients are worried about what this means for their treatment in the coming weeks and whether they'll actually be able to get their jab by New Year, or simply be left waiting in a queue for an appointment.

"This is yet another botched booster announcement from the Prime Minister, who is desperately trying to claw back some political credibility. Clearly he's failed again."