Two more Derbyshire sites begin vaccinating against Covid-19

Two more GP surgeries in Derbyshire have now begun vaccinating hundreds of patients against Covid-19.
The Long Eaton Health Centre started vaccinating this week.The Long Eaton Health Centre started vaccinating this week.
The Long Eaton Health Centre started vaccinating this week.

Primary care vaccination sites in Bakewell and Long Eaton have started inviting priority patients to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, following the start of vaccinations at medical centres in Dronfield and Ripley a few weeks ago.

Vaccinations began at the Royal Derby Hospital and Chesterfield Royal Hospital earlier in December.

The Newholme Hospital in Bakewell and Long Eaton Health Centre began vaccinating this week.

People should wait to be contacted about their vaccination, and do not need to visit or contact their GP about the vaccine.

Vaccinations are initially being provided for those aged 80 and over, as well as care home workers and residents, identified as priority groups for the life-saving vaccine.

GP practices in Long Eaton will use Long Eaton Health Centre as their vaccination hub, with some patients being asked to attend the health centre for their vaccine rather than their usual GP practice.

This is to support the complex transport and storage requirements of the vaccine. The overall planning is being coordinated by the Erewash Primary Care Network, which is a collaboration of 13 practices from Long Eaton, Ilkeston and surrounding areas.

Dr Duncan Gooch, who is one of the Primary Care Network’s clinical directors and a GP at the Golden Brook Medical Practice in Long Eaton, said the vaccinations represented a turning point for the people of Erewash.

He said: “I’m delighted that we are able to begin delivering Covid-19 vaccinations at a local level.

“General Practice has the expertise to deliver mass vaccination in the UK.

"This is a watershed moment in our efforts to protect patients from this virus.

“Our PCN team and community health colleagues across the area have risen to the challenge of preparing to deliver the vaccine, and I can’t speak highly enough of all the work they have put in.”

Primary care in Derbyshire is commissioned by the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is working closely with GPs across the region to open up new vaccination sites in the coming weeks.

Dr Steve Lloyd, medical director for the CCG, said: “This is a complex process involving the transport of a delicate vaccine, as well as the preparation of vaccination sites which will enable safe and effective vaccinations.

“We have started vaccinations in Dronfield and Ripley, Bakewell and Long Eaton and we continue to work on other sites so that they can open soon.

“Our focus is on ensuring everyone eligible for a vaccine gets access to a vaccination site, and this will happen in a phased way as more sites become available.

"We ask that people continue to be patient, and wait for the NHS to contact them about a vaccination.

“Staff are working incredibly hard to get these sites set up, and are doing an astonishing job to mount the greatest vaccination programme in NHS history.”