Fake Government leaflets promoting vaccine scepticism were planted in the waiting room of a Reading GP practice.

Employees from Balmore Park Surgery took to social media today to vent their frustration after discovering the literature had been left for unsuspecting patients.

“As a practice we feel that misleading patients in this way is unforgivable and we do not appreciate the amount of time that dealing with the fallout takes us away from what we should be doing,” read a post from the surgery’s Facebook account.

“They look like harmless information from Public Health [England], however they are in fact anti-vaccine literature made to look as though it has come from Public Health.

“If you have taken one of these leaflets please know that the information they contain is not real and is in no way endorsed by anyone at the surgery.”

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The leaflets appear to be edited paper copies of guidance issued on the government’s website in June, and distort a statement made by the Government that they had received extremely rare reports of blood clots after the AstraZeneca vaccination.

Clotting problems are a common complication of COVID-19 infection, the Government statement continues.

A Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed to see this sort of irresponsible behaviour which can only cause alarm and distress to patients visiting our surgeries.”

“These are fake documents made to look like official NHS literature.”

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The spokesperson said the CCG are reviewing all surgery waiting areas to check the leaflets have not been distributed elsewhere.

A spokesperson for Public Health England said: “We would advise everyone to ensure that any health or medical information comes from trusted sources, such as the NHS.

“If anyone is in any doubt they can always check the latest advice on COVID-19 or the vaccination by visiting the NHS website.”