Pensioners have slammed the decision to make over-75s travel to a vaccination centre in Pontypool for their Covid booster jab.

Health bosses say they are hosting appointment-only pop-up clinics more locally now to provide vaccinations.

But residents say vulnerable elderly people in Monmouth have been told to make a 43-mile round-trip to have their jab at Coleg Gwent’s Pontypool campus, despite poor public transport links, an unavailable community car scheme and the possible cost of taxi fares.

Pensioners have labelled the situation as “ridiculous’.

And Monmouth MP David Davies is backing their calls for a static venue in the town after being alerted to the problem by local man Richard Kimberley, who told him the over 75s’ “needs are being blatantly ignored.”

“The situation is getting worse rather than better,” said Mr Kimberley, who has volunteered at Monnow Vale day centre and now drives electric vehicles at Bridges Community Centre.

“I have estimated there are 600 over 75s in Monmouth, but it could be a lot more. People in this age group are saying to me they feel forgotten in this town. They are questioning why other people are getting services and they are not.

“Likewise, staff at the vaccination booking centre have told me that many offered appointments are being refused simply because people cannot get to Pontypool.”

Pensioner Jan Hillman also contacted the Beacon to say: “They’ve got a perfectly good hospital at Monnow Vale where they provided jabs before.

“I don’t understand why they are making elderly people make this journey. There’s no direct public transport, so if you don’t have access to a car, you’ll either have a horrible journey finding your way there or have to pay a fortune for a taxi.

“You need two buses to get to Nevill Hall in Abergavenny, and that takes ages, and they’re not even doing jabs there.

“So I don’t know how you are supposed to get to Pontypool by public transport,” she added.

“I had all three previous jabs at Monnow Vale, so I don’t understand why they are making us travel now. It’s absolutely ridiculous and it’s made me see red.”

Mr Davies said: “By definition, those being invited for an extra booster dose of the vaccine are the most vulnerable in our communities.

“The over 75s are statistically less mobile and least likely to have easy access to transport when public options are limited and taxis are hideously expensive.”

With the Pfizer vaccine being used at Pontypool and capable of being stored in a fridge for up to 31 days, he added: “I fail to see why the health board cannot work out how many over 75s there are in Monmouth and then take the right amount of vaccine to the area to distribute.

“In the past, highly successful clinics were held at both Bridges Community Centre and Monnow Vale, so I am struggling to understand why previous effective arrangements cannot be reinstated to save local people unnecessary inconvenience, hassle and stress.”

Interim ABHB chief executive Glyn Jones responded: “The health board has worked and continues to work with the local authorities across Gwent to obtain appropriate venues to hold mass vaccination centres.

“Unfortunately, we have been unable to obtain a static venue within the Monmouthshire locality, however the programme is hosting a number of pop-up clinics within the area as and when required.

“Recent performance data for the uptake rate of the Covid-19 vaccination for Monmouthshire residents is showing that it has the highest uptake of the booster dose in the over 50s age group across Gwent and Wales.

“We will continue to monitor uptake rates and organise pop-up vaccination clinics in areas of lower uptake and adapt the programme accordingly.”

Mr Jones also confirmed the community car scheme would not take any new bookings at the present time after it was “overwhelmed with requests and registrations.

The service had a “limited amount” of volunteer drivers and was at “full capacity”, so could not continue to support transport to vaccination centres, he said.

While appointment-only pop-up clinics have been held at the likes of Nevill Hall in Abergavenny in recent days, that contrasts with the ‘turn-up and get jabbed’ service which has operated over the border in Ross-on-Wye and the rest of Herefordshire.

And Mr Kimberley claims the health board is “offering platitudes” while despairing residents “want action”.

“It’s Pontypool or bust. This is a disgraceful and totally impractical system which cannot achieve its aim and purpose,” he added.

“What we are effectively seeing is, I believe, the centralisation of NHS services to the Cwmbran area.”

Mr Davies called on the new leader of Monmouthshire County Council to “work with him” and persuade Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan to order a change of policy.