THE coronavirus vaccination roll-out is well under way in Herefordshire, with the county now giving jabs to people in their 70s.
The Government's aim has been to vaccinate the top for priority groups before mid-February.
Those groups include all those over 70, all clinically extremely vulnerable people and frontline health and social care workers.
In Herefordshire, primary care networks (PCN), which are groups of GP surgeries, have been responsible for the majority of the roll-out so far.
There are five of these networks in Herefordshire, meaning five centres have been set up.
In addition to this, Elgar House has opened as a mass vaccination centre, primarily for health and social care workers, but also for the general public.
The NHS has repeatedly reminded people throughout the start of the roll-out that patients should not contact their GP to see when they will get the jab, as the NHS will contact them.
The top four priority groups are:
- Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults
- All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
- All those 75 years of age and over
- All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age)
Here is how each primary care network in Herefordshire is getting on with the vaccination programme so far:
South and west Herefordshire PCN (Alton Street, Pendeen, Fownhope, Kingstone, Golden Valley and Much Birch surgeries)
Over-70s
Centre at The Larruperez Centre, Grammar School Close, Ross-on-Wye.
The decision for a centralised location was taken by the local NHS due to restrictions surround the movement of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
However, as the Oxford/AstraZeneca can be transported more easily, some surgeries, such as Kingstone, have been able to hold clinics closer to patients' homes.
Kingstone Surgery's website said: "We will be running a Covid vaccination clinic here at Kingstone Surgery on February 3, 4, 12 and 19 for our patients aged over 70. Please do not contact the surgery to make an appointment, we will contact you.
"We are keen to run more clinics here at Kingstone Surgery but there may be the odd occasion where we will still be required to work at the Larruperz Centre in Ross-on-Wye. This is due to supply and demand.
"During the vaccination programme, Kingstone surgery will remain open for appointments and prescription collections but please be mindful service will be slower than usual. Some non-urgent services may be suspended while we help deliver this vital work.
On January 27, Much Birch Surgery said: "This week there is a vaccination session taking place in Ross, using the Pfizer vaccine and we are currently working through our list of 79-75 year old patients.
"We are working with the five other practices in the south west Herefordshire primary care network (PCN) and therefore only get a share of the vaccine delivery.
"Not all our patients in this age group will get booked in this weekend, however, we are getting very close and expect to finish this group with the next vaccine delivery and be able to make a start on the under 70s."
East Herefordshire PCN (Market Street, St Katherines, Nunwell, Colwall and Cradley surgeries)
Over-70s
Centre at Ledbury Community Hall
Vanessa Hargest, from Bromyard's Nunwell Surgery said invitation for an appointment can now be sent by text.
"We have now started to send invitations by text as well," she said on Wednesday.
"The text will come from [the] GP surgery and will invite you to book an appointment by clicking a link. The link will have 'accurx' within it – this is the system used to book the appointment so you will know it is genuine.
"As previously stated you will never be asked to pay for a vaccination.
"Anyone not able to book this way can ring the surgery once they receive a text (phones are quieter in the afternoon) to book their appointment. Anyone without a mobile to receive a text will still be telephoned.
"Today we have had a notification of a delivery of vaccine next week so we will have contacted everyone over 70 years and shielding patients to offer an appointment before the February 15."
Hereford Medical Group
Over-70s
Centre at Quay House Surgery, Westfaling Street, Hereford
Hereford Medical Group said on Wednesday that it was expecting to receive a delivery of coronavirus vaccines later this week and have clinics planned throughout the weekend, and teams are also going out to vaccinate housebound patients.
"Please do not contact us asking if you are eligible for the vaccination or to arrange an appointment," the group said.
"It's brilliant how many of our patients are ready, and willing to attend an appointment, for their vaccination but we cannot invite patients in until they become eligible.
"We are currently vaccinating patients aged 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals. If you have not been contacted yet we will be in touch."
Patients will be contact by text message, telephone or letter, the group added.
North and west Herefordshire PCN (Kington, Mortimer, The Marches, Weobley and Westfield surgeries)
Over-70s
Centre at Bridge Street Sports Centre, Leominster
Dr Silvana McCaffrey, from Kington Medical Practice, said surgeries in the area are working to vaccinate all those in the 70-74 and 75-79 groups, and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
"We just had confirmation of deliveries for next week," she said.
"We are currently completing cohorts three and four including the extremely vulnerable. To administer the vaccine to the clinically extremely vulnerable we need to change the flow and layout of the site but they will all be done at the end of next week.
"Our housebound patients will also be completed by then we continue to return to care homes to vaccinate new residents if they have not received vaccine before."
Hereford City PCN (Wargrave, Belmont and Cantilupe surgeries)
Over-70s
Centre at Saxon Hall, Hoarwithy Road, Hereford
Cantilupe and Hampton Dene Surgery said on February 1: "This week we will be continuing to vaccinate the over-70s and those considered at a high risk of Covid infection (those advised to shield by the Government).
"We are holding two clinics at Saxon Hall this week, giving over 500 vaccines.
"Some people will have received a letter from NHS England offering an appointment at a larger vaccination centre. You can choose which site you attend of course, but please remember, you must attend the same site for your second vaccine."
Haygarth Doctors
Over-75s in surgery, over-70s at mass site
Across the border in Wales, Haygarth Doctors, which serves people living in and around Hay-on-Wye and Talgarth, said it had already given the first of two doses to 450 people.
"We are now into our second week of Covid vaccination clinics, we administered over 450 Covid-19 vaccine doses and have almost completed vaccinating our patients aged 75-79 years of age," the surgery said in a Facebook post.
"We are currently contacting patients who fall into the clinical extremely vulnerable priority group and making appointments for them to receive their Covid-19 vaccination this week.
"All patients over 80 years of age and patients aged 70-74 years are being invited to attend a local mass vaccination centre managed by the local health board
"We are working closely with Powys Local Health Board to ensure that everyone in Priority Groups 1 to 4 will be offered a vaccination by mid-February.
"In order that the local community receive their vaccinations as soon as possible we are working in collaboration with a neighbouring practice, Brecon Practice and will be inviting their patients aged 75-79 years of age to attend Haygarth Doctors to receive their vaccination."
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