The latest Covid vaccination centre in our area has this morning come online.
A group of six rural GP practices, operating as the Winchester Rural North & East Primary Care Network, are working together to deliver the Pfizer jab to over 80’s in a specially prepared part of the Holiday Inn at Morn Hill.
Winchester & Chandler’s Ford MP, Steve Brine, paid a visit to thank staff and volunteers and to meet some of the first patients through the door.
Dr Christine Glew, Clinical Director Winchester Rural North & East PCN, said; "Winchester Rural North and East Primary Care Network is a relatively new organisation of six rural practices working collaboratively to provide excellent healthcare to a population of 43,000 patients. Stockbridge, Gratton, Two Rivers (Whitchurch), Alresford, Watercress (Ropley) and West Meon surgeries have come together at the Holiday Inn, Winchester to vaccinate our over 80 year old patients, together with small numbers of staff of practices and care homes in our area. We have had fantastic support from our local Holiday Inn team, enormous effort and goodwill from staff both present and retired to work Christmas week to achieve this. The amazing engagement from our elderly population wanting the vaccines means we will have carried out more than 1000 vaccines this week with higher numbers to come with new deliveries in the New Year."
Steve Brine added; “It was really moving to see the set-up and meet some of the patients arriving for the first part of their Covid vaccination. The planning behind this, not least given the conditions demanded by this particular vaccine, has been mammoth and our thanks go to the many people involved. The challenge will be to keep up the intensity of the programme to get the numbers through and that isn’t easy given the impact it inevitably has on day-to-day GP work. We need to get the Oxford vaccine online and, in the meantime, be patient as the NHS works through the population in line with the clinical priorities agreed for this programme.”
No-one should turn up at the Holiday Inn or any vaccination centre without an appointment. Everyone will be contacted by their GP surgery and invited to come in for their jab.
Pictured; Dr Christine Glew, Robert Parsons of Winchester Rotary, Steve Brine MP and Lois Rigney, GM Holiday Inn Winchester - Dr Christine Glew and Steve Brine MP examine the vaccine doses and Dr Christine Glew explains the patient flow to Steve Brine MP in the vaccination centre.
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Covid 19 vaccination information
