High Peak vaccine teams ask for patience during covid booster push

Front line NHS staff in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales have asked for patience from the public as they gear up for a massive push to administer covid-19 booster jabs.
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GP surgeries in the area said they only found out about the move to accelerate the Covid-19 booster jab programme when Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation on Sunday.

Now front line staff say the new targets to offer a booster injection to everyone aged 18 or over before the end of December will put even more pressure on the already exhausted teams.

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Julie Cole, the practice manager for Hartington Surgery, said: “Everyone is asking us questions but we don’t have the answers yet.

The Government has announced plans to offer everyone over the age of 18 a booster jab by the end of DecemberThe Government has announced plans to offer everyone over the age of 18 a booster jab by the end of December
The Government has announced plans to offer everyone over the age of 18 a booster jab by the end of December

“This was dropped on us and we are picking up the pieces and doing everything we can to keep people safe.

“For some the pandemic has meant working from home or being furloughed but for the NHS this has been the busiest two years of our career.

“We have been working flat out and it’s not going to get any easier now the booster campaign has been brought forward.

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“This is going to be a huge national effort to get this done.

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“We’re going to be very busy but a little patience goes a long way, we know you’ve been waiting on the phone or trying to book that vaccination appointment but please know we are doing our best.”

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The previous target had been to offer everyone aged 18-plus a jab by the end of January, but this was moved forward a month by the Prime Minister in an address to the nation on Sunday.

In a statment posted on Facebook this week, Thornbrook Surgery in Chapel-en-le-Frith said: “Over the next seven days we will be delivering just short of 1,000 Covid vaccinations.

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“We will hopefully know today if we will be allocated any more in the next seven days.

“As soon as we know we will put more clinics on and invite more people.”

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A Stewart Medical Centre spokesperson added: “We always experience a surge of calls following vaccination announcements, and whilst we are delighted to see so many keen to have their vaccine, please remember we are hearing of the accelerated vaccine programme at the same time as you.

“We will need some time to work through the logistics.”

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