Chapel-en-le-Frith Covid-19 vaccination hub begins first clinics this weekend

The surgery wrote how it had already started inviting its ‘first wave’ of patients from all over the north of High Peak.

However the practice has warned patients not to phone their GP for appointments, adding that those chosen for the first round would receive a text message or phone call.

They wrote: “Please do not come down to the practice on the clinic days as you will not be offered a vaccination without an appointment.”

Patients began receiving the first rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab at Stepping Hill Hospital last month.

Shirley McConnell, 86, was the first to receive the shot at the hospital while in for a routine eye clinic appointment.

Today (Monday) ‘Oxford born and bred’ dialysis patient Brian Pinker was the first man in the world to receive the Oxford/Astrazeneca injection.

Half-a-million doses of the vaccine are ready for use - with hospitals trusts in Oxford, London, Sussex, Lancashire and Warwickshire administering the first doses.

However the Department of Health and Social Care say most other available doses will be sent to hundreds of GP-led services and care homes across the UK later in the week.

Though the surgery’s announcement has been applauded on Facebook a Chinley man who requested the vaccine as a carer for his wife described being told by Thornbook the matter was ‘out of our hands’.

Michael Abbott-Fleming told the Advertiser last month he feared his double-amputee wife Victoria would end up in an old people’s home aged 41 if he fell ill with the virus and could no longer care for her.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that although Michael was on a priority list for the vaccine alongside his clinically extremely vulnerable wife it was not possible to say if the pair would receive the jab at the same time.

Michael branded the situation ‘a massive injustice’ to home carers across the country who deserved ‘the same respect as paid carers’.

The first vaccination clinics at Thornbrook Surgery will be held on January 9, 10 and 11 - with non-vaccine related consultations taking place at its Chinley and Goyt Valley branch surgeries.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.