Covid vaccinations to be offered by selected GP surgeries

December 14, 2020 Kathy Bailes News 27

Vaccination (stock image)

Hundreds of local covid vaccination services run by family doctors and their teams will open across England this week.

Practices in more than 100 parts of the country are taking delivery of the vaccine today (December 14), with some kicking off their clinics this afternoon and the majority starting on Tuesday.

This includes Montefiore Medical Centre in Ramsgate – from Thursday- and it is understood it is one of three GP surgeries in Thanet which will offer the vaccination.

Broadstairs Medical Practice and the other surgeries in the its PCN Network, which are Minster, Birchington, St Peters, Ash and Westgate Surgery, will be in the first wave of the roll out. The surgeries are working together  and will be providing the vaccine from Minster Surgery from Tuesday, December 15 to Thursday, December 17 according to the Broadstairs Medical Practice website.

A full list is expected to be confirmed tomorrow.

Nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and other NHS staff will work alongside GPs to vaccinate those aged 80 and over, as well as care home workers and residents, identified as priority groups for the life-saving vaccine.

Along with other countries in the UK, residents of care homes in England will also receive their first vaccine later this week after distributors finalise new, stringent processes to ensure safe delivery of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

 

Like hospital staff last week, practice teams are working rapidly to redesign their sites and put in place safe processes to meet the tough logistical challenges of offering the vaccination.

The NHS will contact people in the priority groups when it is their turn to receive the vaccine.

Dr Nikki Kanani, practising GP and NHS Director of Primary Care, said: “GPs, nurses, pharmacists and other primary care staff are eager to play their part in protecting people against coronavirus.

“This is the greatest vaccination programme ever undertaken by the NHS and, to help vaccinate people safely we will be working with local communities to deliver it in convenient and familiar settings.

“As a GP I am proud to be part of this huge national effort to protect our patients against the virus and I would urge the public to come forward when they are called up for the vaccine.”

The community sites build on the work of the scores of hospital hubs which have already started vaccinating.

The latest phase of the vaccine roll-out is being co-ordinated by GP-led primary care networks with more practices and community pharmacies in other parts of England joining on a phased basis during December and in the coming months.

Patients will be contacted and invited for vaccination – people do not  need to contact their practice enquiring about vaccination.

27 Comments

  1. If it were’nt for IOTN we wouldn’t know which GP practices were vaccinating, since there has been no notice yet from central or local government or NHS

  2. I am in the highly vulnerable group, and what is worrying me is after I have been vaccinated, how will I know if I am immunised? My point is, the vaccination is supposed to be 95% effective, but suppose I am one of the 5% who has been vaccinated, but it hasn’t worked, how will I know?

    • I think that initially at least, it’s best to assume that you are still vulnerable.
      In course of time, as more and more people are vaccinated, the “herd immunity ” effect will prevail. Then it won’t matter if you’re one of the 5% or not.
      But it seems an obvious thing to do, if only to measure the efficacy of the vaccine.

    • Wouldn’t worry about it, we have no idea how effective it is long-term, or if you will need more jabs in the future as there is no long-term data on it. Just reassure yourself that you are doing it for Queen & Country or if you prefer the reality Pfizer & Moderna’s share prices, along with helping them get 32 billion dollars next year & keep washing your hands while singing the national anthem.

      • You really do talk a load of horlicks Steve! If I get the virus it will kill me, as I already have two life threatening lung diseases! Also, I have served my Queen & Country, which still haunts me to this day, although that was 60 years ago! It was not a pleasant experience, and is why I am a staunch Republican!

  3. I am 82 and consider myself privileged to be one of the first people in the world to be receiving the vaccine on Wednesday at Minster surgery. I live in Westgate and have heard that some people are complaining that they have to travel, sometimes by taxi, to a surgery which is not their own and I can understand that will be inconvenient. However, if we take into consideration that the vaccine is a delicate substance and must be kept at extremely regulated temperatures or it will be wasted, it is far more sensible to keep it in a central location and ask the patients to travel to that location. In addition to that fact, the sheer logistics of getting the serum to every surgery in perfect condition would be formidable and less time, which is of the essence, effective
    Taking a short taxi ride in order to receive a vaccine which, potentially, could save your life, is surely a very small price to pay. Remember also that this vaccine is costing the NHS £120 for every person.
    It has to be remembered that we will not be fully protected until one week after we receive our second injection but hopefully those of us who are over 80 will feel more confident by the end of January. After that, I for one, will find it very difficult to stop using vast amounts of hand gel and veering to the side every time I pass someone during my daily exercise walk.
    Take care and keep safe

    • Why would you need to use vast amounts of hand gel when soap & warm water does the job perfectly well? If you aren’t going anywhere then why do you need to keep washing your hands every five minutes? This thing doesn’t float in through your letterbox. The chances of you catching it out in the open air unless somebody with it deliberately coughs & sneezes directly in your face is effectively zero.

      • Well done Joan! Looking forward to mine hopefully sooner rather than later (I too live in Westgate but wouldn’t be bothered about travelling to Minster).

        Steve, I get through a lot of hand gel if going from shop to shop in places like Birchington (I haven’t been to Westwood Cross or ANY large supermarkets since March).

      • Steve. I am not a child so please don’t treat me as one and, even though I am 82, neither do I have dementia. I shouldn’t have to explain myself but as you don’t seem to understand, I will.
        When the post or a parcel arrive I use hand gel when I take the letters and parcels in and after opening them because Covid does travel on anything that has been handled by other people, including what is inside the envelope or wrapping. So you are mistaken Steve, Covid can come in through the letter box!!!!
        I also use a UV wand to sterilise shopping before putting it away and use hand gel throughout the process. I cannot guarantee that any of this works as the Covid virus doesn’t yell out in agony when it is zapped but at least I take every possible precaution in order to protect myself and my partner.
        I am also well aware that it is ok in the open air and I take my dog to a quiet area every day for our walk.
        As far as hand gel as opposed to soap and water is concerned, I prefer to use a moisturising hand gel instead of soap and water because it does not dry my skin out.
        Now that you know all about my preferred sanitising methods perhaps we could get back to my original positive post and away from your negative comments which at the end of it all mean absolutely nothing.

        • Thank you, Joan, for your positive comments.
          I don’t think you need to explain yourself to covidiots; the rest of us understand.

          • Trying to help her actually, but anyway-I am not a Covidiot. I wear a mask, I wear gloves, I wash my hands regularly, I do not flout the law in any way & do everything I physically can to keep my distance from others, even though many do not return the basic courtesy. I am not anti-vax, just anti rushed out vax with all the issues I & others here have laid out & that nobody was asked beforehand about prior allergic reactions, which meant the injection we have all been told for weeks or months is perfectly safe for EVERYBODY put their life in danger & now we are told it is not safe for large numbers of people-yet more examples of the total lack of planning & general panicking chaos going on.

        • Funny, you seem to be talking to everybody else like they are children-reminding them how much the vaccine costs & how it cannot be wasted, how delicate it is etc. it sounds like a PR piece for/from the government & NHS.

          Yes, doing that is sensible-although your chances of actually catching it off of post is minimal, as stated by experts on the matter. Post has been processed slower which means the virus disintegrates on the package as it is on transit. Also the initial tests of how long it survives on surfaces were highly flawed. Yes, you could potentially catch it from your postie-but I am seeing the same old postmen who handle this stuff every day & they don’t seem to be going down with it-yes, they could all be asymptomatic, but most of them aren’t in great shape or young, so you would think they would be dropping like flies.

          UV Wand? You are correct that you cannot guarantee it works as advised by trading standards & scientists-it is just another con to exploit scared people. It is likely of such weak power that you would probably have to hold it over your post for half an hour to get any level of disinfection, something that worked would likely cause you severe damage-you are probably more likely to harm yourself. Just open it & then wash your hands thoroughly or wear disposable gloves & then wash your hands after.

          Strange your skin gets on better with rubbing alcohol, but if it works for you then great-most complain that high use of it causes issues, if not try some of the little soap company organic bars without all the synthetic junk the big companies put in to give a foaming effect that for most people just dries the skin & irritates.

          • One more comment from me to you Steve, then I am done. I was not speaking to people as if they are children in my original post and if you read it again you will see that it was directed only towards people who are unhappy about traveling, sometimes by taxi, to a surgery other than their own. They do not seem to be considering the logistics of dispensing the vaccine so I hoped my explanation might help them to be a little more positive and accepting. Also, it wasn’t until my doctor told me a couple of days ago how much each Pfizer vaccine costs. Until then I had been unaware so I felt it was a useful piece of information to pass on.
            Over and out Steve.
            Take care, keep safe.
            Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas.

      • I have an American friend who was shielding but caught it from her groceries that had been delivered. She ended up seriously unwell on a vent and was in hospital for months

    • Thanks Joan for what you have said. I have followed the conversation and realise that my carpenter husband gave good advice to “measure twice and cut once”. I think it is also true of media platforms; think at least twice before you post.

  4. Thanks for this IOTN.

    Would be great to have a list of surgeries taking part so that patients can have confidence and then wait their turn.

    Is the Montefiore Practice East Cliff Surgery, or Grange Practise Surgery, or both? There are two large GP practises in that building and it would be good to know.

    Thank you

      • Thanks. I’m the opposite. With Grange Practise, also a huge surgery with thousands of patients. A list would be very comforting along with what happens to people whose surgery isn’t taking part? What do they do? What can they expect and when?

        Such good news the vaccine is rolling out but quite naturally, the thirst for detail is important I think. And for hope.

  5. I think that the identified surgeries will be treating people not on their “books”. For example, Montifiore will treat Grange patients, too.
    I’m pretty relaxed that we’ll get the call when the time comes.

  6. A near neighbour Thanet taxi driver was taken to hospital with Covid today. I hope the authorities get in touch with all the people who have used his cab recently to tell them to go get tested. And the other taxi drivers who associate with him at his home address.
    We hope he will recover and wish him well.

    • When you take a cab, are you obliged to give your details (like you did in those glorious days when pubs were open)?

  7. whoever decided to send everyone to Minster clearly doesn’t know the area. Without a car it’s a case of a taxi or two trains each way. This is not affordable for everyone and public transport – including taxis – are not able to guarantee there’s no risk of infection. I guess I’ll have to do without a vaccine, which is very disappointing; I was looking forward to it.

  8. The COVID vaccines are mRNA vaccines. mRNA vaccines are a completely new type of vaccine. No mRNA vaccine has ever been licensed for human use before. In essence, we have absolutely no idea what to expect from this vaccine. We have no idea if it will be effective or safe. From Frank Schallenberger, MD in the US and sent on via a registered nurse friend. And remember Dr Mike Yeadon, formerly of Pfizer has spoken out extensively about dodgy stats and vaccine dangers. I also cannot understand how more elderly, with failing immune systems should take this jab in the first place, with the inherent dangers. People who have been advised not to take it via the gov. website are immune compromised, those with allergies, pregnant women or women wanting to become pregnant. That’s just a taster as nobody has a clue of long term side effects as this is a rushed-to-the-market product. Make your own choice, but do proper research first and look at the leaflet provided with the vaccine before taking it.

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