Patients at four GP surgeries in cohorts one to six who have not yet had their covid vaccination are being invited to drop in to a clinic being held at St Peter’s Church Hall tomorrow (March 13) – no appointment necessary.
The clinic has 2,600 vaccinations booked but GPs are keen to reach those eligible who haven’t yet received their jab or made an appointment.
The drop in vaccinations are open to patients from Bethesda, The Limes, Northdown and Mocketts Wood surgeries if they are:
- Above the age of 60
- Younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings
- Adult carers (those in receipt of a carer’s allowance or who are the sole or primary carer of a person who is at high risk from COVID).
- Between the age of 16 to 64 and they are clinically vulnerable
The JCVI defines patients who are clinically vulnerable as those with:
chronic respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and severe asthma
chronic heart disease (and vascular disease)
chronic kidney disease
chronic liver disease
chronic neurological disease including epilepsy
Down’s syndrome
severe and profound learning disability
diabetes
solid organ, bone marrow and stem cell transplant recipients
people with specific cancers
immunosuppression due to disease or treatment
asplenia and splenic dysfunction
morbid obesity
severe mental illness
Dr Ash Peshen, from Northdown GPs, said: “We would love for these people to come in to the St Peter’s Church Hall clinic between 8am and 6.30 Pm for drop-in vaccinations tomorrow.
“We have access to our Practice records for cross referring, so they don’t need to bring any NHS number or ID, they just need to be patients at our surgeries and in the groups (above).
“They can drop in, tell us which practice they are with, we can cross check and then they can have their jab.”
Dr Ganapathi Subbiah, from the Limes, Dr Mo Sohail, from Bethesda, Dr Ash Peshen and Dr Venkat Reddy from Mocketts Wood have been heading up vaccinations for the hub. They are assisted by practice managers, nurses, pharmacists and admin staff from across the four surgeries as well as volunteers for marshalling and other tasks.
Following tomorrow’s clinic the GP hub will move operations to the Saga building off Haine Road where they will operate alongside, but independent of, Kent Community Health Trust.
Part of the Saga building has been prepared for use by GP hubs with the health trust running their vaccinations in a separate space within the premises.
St Peter’s Church Hall is in Hopeville Avenue. The vaccination clinic is open from 8am to 6.30pm.