‘Thankful’ housebound High Peak OAP patients receive ‘lifeline’ vaccine

Maggie Choras told how staff and nurses at the practice were ‘overwhelmed’ at being able to give the OAP pensioners ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.

She said: “It almost feels like you’re giving them a lifeline.”

Sett Valley is in the process of giving out the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab to 110 housebound patients in Whaley Bridge, New Mills, Hayfield, Furness Vale, Birch Vale and Disley.

Advanced practitioner nurses Tina Wild and Katie Cobain hope to have all patients - many of whom are aged in their 80s and 90s - immunised within two-three weeks.

Every day the pair - who plan their routes carefully each day for maximum efficiency - work carefully around visiting carers, while being roped-in for other tasks to give the long-awaited injection.

Maggie, 40, said: “It’s quite a spread-out area we cover - we’re the largest practice in the north of High Peak with over 10,000 patients.

“A lot of the patients are quite deaf so don’t always hear the door and it takes a lot longer than in the vaccination hubs because a lot of them want to chat or ask you to do other things while you’re there.”

Mum-of-two Maggie said since the rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at Chapel-en-le-Frith’s Thornbrook Surgery, Sett Valley’s register of housebound patients had increased as ageing locals realised they could not get to the vaccination centre.

She said: “There were many who were contacted by Thornbrook who were worried about travelling in the weather - but this is just so rewarding.

“If you can just imagine all these elderly people being so grateful - some of them were crying.

“It’s almost like you’re giving them a lifeline and it’s really emotional for us - something amazing to be able to give them that light at the end of the tunnel.

“We’re so excited to be able to experience this.”

As well as home visits Sett Valley have vaccinated 132 residents and staff at New Mills care homes Watford House and Goyt Valley House.

On Monday this week Chapel’s Thornbrook Surgery began delivering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine - which Sett Valley is unable to do due to storage problems.

Maggie, who has worked at the surgery for two years, said: “It’s really having four surgeries come together to vaccinate.

“But there’s word we will be getting the Oxford vaccine which would mean we could run clinics here at the practice.”

During last weekend and on Monday Thornbrook gave out the jab to over 1,100 patients.

Samantha Todd, Thornbrook practice manager, said: “The whole weekend has not only been a fantastic atmosphere but it flowed with excellent management from all four GP Practices ensuring each clinic ran smoothly, efficiently and safely.

“Each day was very emotional with each member of staff feeling like they were a part of history and were all very proud that they were able to start to protect the residents of the High Peak.”

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