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The swine flu vaccination programme was in chaos today with doctors unable to tell thousands of patients when they will be immunised.
Pregnant women and the elderly could face a six-week wait because of confusion over delivery of the vaccine to surgeries.
The roll-out for 9.5million priority patients officially began this week. Each GP practice will receive an initial "ration" of 500 doses.
But supplies are being sent out at random over the next four weeks with doctors getting no prior notice of their delivery date.
They warn this will lead to delays because they cannot tell patients in advance when to turn up for jabs.
Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, said: "This is impossible. We've made all these plans but we can't carry them out because they can't tell us when this [the vaccine] is coming.
"It will then take one to two weeks after the vaccine has been delivered to then get it out to people."
Last month, immunisation czar Professor David Salisbury issued a letter to health trusts promising to tell GPs when they can expect delivery "so that planning can begin before vaccine arrives". But doctors say they have not received individual delivery dates.
In London, health trusts are sending out the vaccine direct to all 1,700 surgeries over the next four weeks. It is then expected to take at least another two weeks to tell patients.
GPs say the confusion over deliveries will add to concerns over the impact of the postal strike. Doctors have already been told by health chiefs to use email and texts to tell patients to come in for the jab.
Some GPs say they are already having a hard time convincing patients they need to have the swine flu jab.
GP Sam Everington, of Bromley-by- Bow health centre, said: "It's crucial we know beforehand when we're going to get the vaccine. We already know it's going to be more difficult to persuade people to have the jab. The bottom line is there is no difference in risk between this and the ordinary flu vaccine."
Linda Aldous, a partner at the same surgery, said: "What this means is we can't plan in advance.
"The process is slower anyway because this vaccine doesn't come in a pre-filled syringe. The multi-dose vials take longer to draw up."
NHS London said it had provided a list of priority patients to the Department of Health who was in charge of the delivery programme.
Professor Trish Morris-Thompson, chief nurse at NHS London, reassured patients that the vaccine was safe. She said: "We strongly recommend that pregnant women have the vaccine to give them the protection they need."
