Five GP practices in Tees Valley have re-joined the Covid-19 vaccination programme to help support the booster rollout.
Following the Government’s call to accelerate Covid-19 boosters, to provide additional defence against the Omicron variant, East Cleveland GP practices are returning to the national vaccination programme to support delivery across the borough.
The practices, which collectively form East Cleveland Primary Care Network (PCN), originally withdrew from phase 2 of the vaccination programme in October 2021 to prioritise primary care services for local patients.
Practice staff have already begun to vaccinate local care home patients and staff that have not already been vaccinated through support from local community pharmacies and have booked appointment clinics planned for the most vulnerable patients from next week.
Hospital hub staff from South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been delivering housebound vaccinations to patients in East Cleveland, with mobile driver support from The Bloodrun charity.
Dr Janet Walker, medical director, NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “All of our vaccination teams are rising to the challenge and working flat out to ensure that people in Tees Valley are protected and our local NHS hospitals are not overwhelmed this winter with cases of Covid-19.
“Our GPs have been at the forefront of the vaccination effort, but capacity in some areas was scaled back to prioritise services in local primary care.
“GPs and practice staff have worked relentlessly over the past year, but there is now a clear need to scale up the booster programme at pace and I am delighted that our colleagues in East Cleveland have re-joined the national vaccination programme.”
Patients are asked not to contact their GP practices directly to request a vaccination. GP practices will be in contact with patients as they become eligible for their boosters, but will be prioritising those at greatest risk.
Bookable appointments are available across Redcar and Cleveland at eight community pharmacies, via the National Booking System, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or by calling 119.
Several walk-in clinics, supported by local community pharmacies and mobile vaccination units, are also available including:
Friday 7th January, REDCAR, Redcar and Cleveland College, Corporation Rd, Redcar TS10 1EZ, 10am – 5pm
Friday 14th January, GUISBOROUGH, St Nicholas Church Hall, TS14 6BP,
10am – 5pm
Monday 17th January, GUISBOROUGH, St Nicholas Church Hall, TS14 6BP,
10am – 5pm
Friday 21st January, SALTBURN, Saltburn Cricket Club, Marske Mill Ln, TS12 1HJ
10am – 5pm
Monday 24th January, SALTBURN, Saltburn Cricket Club, Marske Mill Ln, TS12 1HJ
10am – 5pm
Friday 28th January, REDCAR, Redcar and Cleveland College, Corporation Rd, Redcar TS10 1EZ, 10am – 5pm
Monday 31st January, REDCAR, Redcar and Cleveland College, Corporation Rd, Redcar TS10 1EZ, 10am – 5pm
More details on walk in clinics are available here: https://teesvalleyccg.nhs.uk/where-and-when-you-can-you-get-a-walk-in-covid-19-jab-in-tees-valley-3/
Practices from Darlington have also returned to the programme with a change to vaccine provision, with a greater number of vaccines to be delivered from general practice surgeries in addition to vaccine delivery by practices working together in Darlington centre.
“It has been a truly fantastic response across primary care from general practice and community pharmacy,” added Dr Walker.