Forum no longer needed as vaccination hub, say NHS chiefs

Northallerton Forum. Photo: Mick Garratt.

The Covid-19 vaccination hub at the Forum in Northallerton will no longer be needed from June, NHS bosses say.

Instead, officials say a local pharmacy is set to play a larger role in the vaccination rollout.

Around 60 000 jabs have now been administered at the venue since December.

The NHS National Booking Service is now offering Covid vaccines to those aged 32 and over and doctors say the time is now right to assess the infrastructure and future capacity that’s required to support the vaccination programme.

Dr Sally Tyrer, a GP Partner at Lambert Medical Centre in Thirsk and the clinical director of Hambleton South Primary Care Network, said the vaccination programme in Northallerton had been “phenomenally successful”.

“As the programme moves towards vaccinating younger and more mobile cohorts, we’re already seeing evidence that people are choosing to book via the national booking service, rather than waiting to be contacted by their GP practice,” she said.

“We have agreed with NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England Improvement that we will cease our locally-led Covid-19 vaccination programme on June 21.”

Dr Mark Duggleby, a GP Partner at Stokesley Health Centre and the clinical director of the Hambleton North Primary Care Network, added: “With the huge number of people now vaccinated in the local area, we feel June is an appropriate end date.

“We need to be mindful of the other pressures that will be placed on doctors’ surgeries as we head towards autumn and winter, and the annual flu vaccine campaigns that GP practices need to provide.

“We also need to enable our kind hosts at the Forum to provide their own events as restrictions continue to be eased and more public events are permitted.”

NHS North Yorkshire CCG Clinical Chair, Dr Charles Parker, said: “Other local vaccine centres / providers are already up and running and, together with the regional hubs, there will be more than enough capacity in the system to vaccinate those people who still need to be vaccinated.

“We continue to encourage people to come forward and have their vaccine when invited and, book their appointment slot through the NHS National Booking Service online or by ringing 119.”

The primary care networks say they will continue to operate vaccination clinics from the site until June 21, and all patients who receive a first dose at the site will return either to the Forum or will be invited to their GP practice for their second vaccination.

Patients will automatically be invited for their second dose so there is no need to contact their GP practice.

The Government says it is committed to all adults receiving an offer of a first vaccination by 31 July.

The local pharmacy-led service will begin vaccinations from early June and these will be part of the NHS Booking Service, together with the larger, regional vaccination hubs including those at Middlesbrough, Leeds and York.

Dr Tyrer added: “We would like to place on record our extreme gratitude to the Forum for their support and the generous use of their facilities.

“Similarly, we would not have been able to deliver this service without the extraordinary support of our colleagues in the voluntary sector, as well as the many volunteers, clinicians, administrators and managers who stepped up to the challenge in December and have stayed with us throughout.”

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