All GP-led, community-based coronavirus vaccination sites Swindon and Wiltshire have now opened their doors, meaning all people in the region aged 80 or over will soon be invited to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, if they have not already.
There are currently a total of 19 vaccination sites in operation across the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire area, with each one responsible for providing the vaccine to patients registered at GP practices within the
local community.
Salisbury Cathedral became the latest sites to open on Saturday 16 January, with
the building following in the footsteps of other iconic venues, such as the Steam
Museum in Swindon, the Corn Exchange in Devizes and the Pavilion in Bath, being
transformed into temporary local vaccine clinics.
The coming weeks will see an escalation of the programme to ensure that every care
home resident across the region is vaccinated as quickly as possible.
Gill May, Director of Nursing and Quality, said: “Getting all of our GP-led sites open
within the first two working weeks of the new year had always been our goal and,
although there is still a long way to, we are delighted to be up and running.
“Some people may be anxious about not having been invited to receive their
vaccine, but I can reassure them that no person will be missed, so please don’t
worry as every day we are contacting more and more people to come forward to get
the jab.
“We have already given the vaccine to thousands of local people, and these
numbers will continue to increase week on week.
“Our number one priority is to ensure the most vulnerable people in our communities
are protected, and our primary care teams are currently busy vaccinating residents in
care homes.
“With every arm that is jabbed, we are one step closer to returning life to some level
of normality.”
Some people in the region may have also started to receive letters about arranging a
vaccine appointment at the new large-scale NHS Vaccination Centre based at
Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, if this is the case, those people can choose to either have their vaccine at these new centres or wait to be invited to a local GP-led site.
People invited to have the vaccine are reminded that the current lockdown
restrictions does permit friends and family to provide lifts to and from the vaccination
sites.
It is asked that people only arrive five minutes before their appointment time to
reduce congestion and queuing.
Further details about the vaccine itself can also be found online at www.nhs.uk.
