A worried pensioner is at her wits end after spending the past two months unsuccessfully trying to book an appointment for a Covid booster jab near to her home.

Sandy Paish has phoned the 119 NHS call centre countless times since the beginning of October, but each time has been told the nearest town she can receive the booster is Exmouth – some 20 miles away from where she lives in Dartington.

The 75-year-old does not drive and is reluctant to travel by public transport.

Sandy, of Droridge, said: “My booster jab is about eight weeks over when I should have had it. I am worried, very worried.

“It’s not stopping me doing anything but I am worried just going about. I would rather be protected than not.”

The former counsellor explained: “I can’t get a booster jab in Totnes at all.

“They told me beginning of October I was eligible.

“I keep ringing this 119 and they keep saying “oh no you’ll have to go to Exmouth”.

“Exmouth is about 20 miles away. I don’t drive and I’m not going on a bus.

“They don’t make exceptions for not being able to drive.

“They do booster jabs at Follaton but only if you’ve got underlying problems.

“I am 75 years old, it’s ridiculous. They are not doing at my surgery, they don’t want anything to do with it.

“It’s a bit of a shambles. This 119 is neither use nor ornament, I promise you it isn’t.

“You phone it and get this great long diatribe of whatever it is that they have got, and they’re going to do, and what you can do and all this sort of thing, and you’re bored rigid until you get to actually speak to someone.

“And then they say what language do you want, and you say English, then you get put through to someone in Inda or Africa - and I don’t generally understand what they are saying to be honest.

“God love them, they try, but it’s just they’ve got strong accents. I don’t care where I get put through to as long as I can understand them.

“They don’t know the area, they know bugger all, poor things.”

Sandy concluded: “I don’t know what to do, I’m thinking that I might try and get it privately, which is no way to be treating us old birds.”

The NHS was contacted for a response.