covid vaccine rollout

Covid Vaccine Rollout

www.norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk

Please see below the latest media releases issued on behalf of NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and new vaccination sites.

NHS vaccinates nearly 40% of Norfolk and Waveney’s most vulnerable patients against COVID-19

Almost 40% of all people over the age of 80 living in Norfolk and Waveney have received their first vaccination against COVID-19.

It comes as the number of people vaccinated in the area approaches 30,000.

In Norfolk and Waveney, out of a population of 65,000 over 80s – the most vulnerable age group – some 25,500 people have had the life-saving jab.

The NHS is driving forward the vaccination of the rest of the over 80s and other most at risk groups still to be vaccinated. Two further GP-led vaccination sites, Bowthorpe Medical Practice, Norwich and The Park Surgery, Great Yarmouth begin vaccinating this week.

They will be joined next week by 10 more sites in community buildings and GP premises, which will be begin delivering the new AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine alongside the Pfizer jab.

This will mean there will be 21 local vaccination sites in Norfolk and Waveney, in addition to the James Paget University Hospital, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn.

These sites will be:

  • Drayton Medical Practice
  • Sheringham Medical Practice
  • The Market Surgery, Aylsham
  • Sole Bay Health Centre, Southwold
  • Manor Farm Medical Centre, Swaffham
  • Poringland Community Centre, South Norfolk
  • Gurney Surgery, Norwich
  • Hoveton Village Hall, North Norfolk
  • Rossis Leisure, North Walsham
  • Snettisham Surgery

Dr Anoop Dhesi, Chair of NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group(CCG,) which is co-ordinating the roll-out of the vaccination programme, said:

“We’ve made a great start beginning to protect the most vulnerable people. That’s testament to the immense effort made by doctors, nurses and administrators in General Practice, staff in our hospitals and in the clinical commissioning group. But truly this is going to be a marathon not a sprint.

“More GP-led sites are about to open, and these will be followed by more large vaccination centres to drive up the numbers we can vaccinate every day into the many thousands, with a spread of sites reaching into every corner of Norfolk and Waveney.”

The NHS has worked with district and county councils across Norfolk and Waveney, along with voluntary groups, private businesses and the police, to set-up and run the vaccination sites in what has been a real shared endeavour. The NHS would like to thank everyone who has offered sites for the vaccination programme; no further sites are currently needed.

Bruce Rossi, owner of Rossis Leisure in North Walsham, said: “We are really pleased to be involved in the local vaccination effort, providing a venue for local people to get these vital vaccinations.”

The licencing of the “fridge-friendly” AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine which can be stored at normal fridge temperatures will make delivering the vaccine easier. The Pfizer jab which has been licenced since early December must be stored at -70 degree centigrade.

This has hampered efforts to vaccinate residents of care homes – although the residents of a handful of care in Norfolk and Waveney have already been vaccinated as part of a pilot scheme.

The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine will allow a step-change in the NHS’ ability to take vaccine into care homes.

Our hospitals in Norfolk and Waveney are under immense pressure with more COVID-19 positive patients in beds that at any point since the outbreak of the diseases last year.

Until the vaccine has reached most of the vulnerable groups our best protection for ourselves, family, community and the NHS, is to wear a face covering, keep our distance and regularly wash our hands.

Notes:

  • You’ll find more information about the vaccination programme in this briefing here.
  • A COVID-19 myth buster is available here.
  • The NHS is delivering the largest vaccination programme in its history.
  • Patients are being invited to be vaccinated and vaccination is by appointment only. Please do not ask your GP practice or hospital when you will receive the vaccine. Please wait for your invite.
  • To gain full protection people will need two vaccinations.
  • People are being vaccinated according to how at risk they are from COVID-19.
  • The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.

Priority groups:

  1. residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
  2. all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
  3. all those 75 years of age and over
  4. all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
  5. all those 65 years of age and over
  6. all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
  7. all those 60 years of age and over
  8. all those 55 years of age and over
  9. all those 50 years of age and over

Sites going live from 11 January 2021:

Site District council area Parliamentary constituency Primary Care Network
Drayton Medical Practice Broadland District Council Broadland NN3
Sheringham Medical Practice North Norfolk District Council North Norfolk NN3
The Market Surgery, Aylsham Broadland District Council Broadland NN1
Sole Bay Health Centre, Southwold East Suffolk District Council Suffolk Coastal SWAN
Manor Farm Medical Centre, Swaffham Breckland Council South West Norfolk Swaffham and Downham Market
Poringland Community Centre South Norfolk District Council South Norfolk SNHIP
Gurney Surgery Norwich City Council Norwich South Norwich
Hoveton Village Hall North Norfolk District Council North Norfolk NN4
Rossis Leisure, North Walsham North Norfolk District Council North Norfolk NN2
Snettisham Surgery Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk North West Norfolk West Norfolk Coastal

www.norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk

Bowthorpe Medical Practice in Norwich and the Park Surgery in Great Yarmouth have today joined nine other GP practice sites across Norfolk and Waveney to begin vaccinating patients against Covid-19.

From Friday 8 January, the GP sites will be acting as ‘primary care hubs’; vaccinating patients registered with their own practice as well as patients from other neighbouring practices.

Those who are most at risk from Covid-19 are being prioritised first; members of the public who are over 80 years-old, care home workers and a small number of ‘at risk’ frontline NHS staff.

GP practices work closely together with neighbouring practices in local groups called Primary Care Networks (PCNs).  Each PCN will have a designated vaccination site, providing a good geographical spread of vaccination locations across Norfolk and Waveney.

Bowthorpe Medical Practice and the Park Surgery join the following GP practice sites to begin vaccinations:

  • Fakenham Medical Practice, Fakenham
  • St James Medical Practice, King’s Lynn
  • Lionwood Medical Practice, Norwich
  • Falkland Surgery, Bradwell
  • Swanton Morley Surgery, Swanton Morley
  • Thetford Healthy Living Centre, Thetford
  • Kirkley Mill Surgery, Lowestoft
  • Cringleford Surgery, Cringleford
  • St John’s Surgery, Terrington St John

More sites are set to go live in the coming days and weeks.

Dr Nick Morton, lead GP at the Trinity and Bowthorpe Medical Practice said: “We are delighted to be delivering the vaccine to our patients and those of neighbouring GP surgeries across Norwich.  This is the biggest vaccination programme the NHS has ever seen and will take some weeks and months, but it is amazing to be part of it and to be able to protect people from this deadly virus.”

Dr Luke Gardner, Lead GP at The Park Surgery, said: “We are overjoyed to be delivering the Vaccine to our patients in the Great Yarmouth and Northern villages area.  All of our practices teams, support staff and wider agencies have worked incredibly hard to get the vaccinations up and running and we would like to say a massive thank you to them.”

Dr Anoop Dhesi, GP and clinical chair of NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We want to thank our primary care and PCN staff who continue to work tirelessly to roll out the vaccine across Norfolk and Waveney.  Feedback from both patients and staff has been extremely positive and we look forward to reaching more patients as additional vaccination sites go live in the coming days and weeks.”

“The vaccine is great news and will save many lives, but we need people to be patient. Please wait until you are contacted with an appointment for vaccination – don’t contact your surgery as they are already incredibly busy.”

“This virus hasn’t gone away.  We need to protect ourselves and our loved ones, it’s so important that we all keep following national and local guidelines – as well as washing our hands, wearing face coverings and staying two metres apart.”

www.norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk