Vaccination of all over-70s in Bishop’s Stortford, Sawbridgeworth and Much Hadham is on track this week.
Dr Sian Stanley, clinical director of the Stort Valley and Villages Primary Care Network and a Church Street GP, said immunisation of housebound residents was also well underway.
The partnership between Bishop’s Stortford’s three surgeries, Bell Street practice in Sawbridgeworth and Much Hadham Health Centre, has turned Bishop’s Stortford Football Club at Woodside into its vaccination hub.
Dr Stanley said; “We are contacting all our housebound patients and they are being given a time slot and a date for their vaccine, we have teams going out twice a day and they are working incredibly hard to get around everyone as quickly as possible.
“Please when you see the vaccine teams out and about can people be kind to them. They are doing their best to reach some of the most vulnerable people, and they have been met with some unpleasantness from local residents around parking.
“The teams are working hard, and such interactions are distressing. If there is a problem with parking perhaps the teams could be approached with the courtesy, they deserve.”
She paid tribute to Liz West, Sarah Carter and Nadia Howard “who have been working round the clock” to make sure all the housebound, clinically extremely vulnerable and over-70s have been offered vaccinations this week.
Dr Stanley said: “They have been plotting routes for the vaccinating teams, ensuring that the vaccine teams have the right kit and generally organising this complex process, it has been a huge undertaking.”
On Monday a second mass vaccination centre, run by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, opened in the town at St Michael’s Hurst. Medical teams are using the newly-built Avanti Meadows primary school until July.
Dr Stanley said: “We are aware that some patients will be getting two invites one from us and another from the national booking service. It is entirely up to the individual which clinic they would rather attend but we ask that you let us know by return text that you do not want an appointment at the football club vaccination site.
“This allows us to judge the numbers and open appointments for others to be vaccinated. We do not want to waste a drop of the vaccine and we need people to work with us.
“Please can I request that patients book at one or the other site, not both as we will not be able to judge how best to distribute the vaccine if people double book.”
The partnership between the two sites was also emphasised by a spokesman for HCT.
“The vaccination centre at Avanti Meadows Primary School will have the capacity to vaccinate thousands of people a week. HCT will be working with the Stort Valley and Villages Primary Care Network to ensure that, together, we can vaccinate local people as quickly as possible. We know there will be a need for as much vaccination capacity as possible over the coming months as we begin vaccinating people in the remaining priority groups and the roll-out widens, and the NHS will contact you directly when it’s your turn to have the jab.”
According to the latest NHS figures, 63,338 people over 80 (82.6%) in the Herts and West Essex area had their first dose between December 8 and January 24. In all 89,358 people under 80 were also vaccinated in the same period.
The Avanti Meadows centre will be open every day from 8am to 8pm and is expected to operate until July. The school is set to admit its first pupils in September.
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