Stafford-based hospital becomes Covid-19 vaccination hub
A Stafford hospital site has joined the network of hub sites across the country delivering the Covid-19 vaccine programme.
Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's (MPFT) St George's Hospital, in Corporation Street, Stafford, launched as a vaccine hub this weekend.
The site will vaccinate in line with the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and prioritise vaccinating people aged 80 and over, and health and care workers.
Neil Carr, chief executive for MPFT and the executive lead for the vaccination programme across Staffordshire, said: "I am delighted that the St George’s has launched as a hospital hub. We have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure we are ready to support the largest vaccination programme the NHS has ever seen and tackle Covid-19.
"There is an enormous national effort to vaccinate as many people as possible to support the NHS and we are delighted to be part of this. In the coming weeks our hospital hub in Stafford will be joined by numerous vaccination centres across Staffordshire, which will provide additional capacity to vaccinate and protect people from Covid-19.”
He added: "We are contacting those eligible to arrange an appointment to receive their vaccine and are asking that you don’t contact the hospital to try and arrange an appointment until you have been contacted.”
The first to be vaccinated at St George's on Saturday was Sarah Goodwin, who works at Longton Cottage Hospital. She said: "It is an honour to be the first. I would encourage everyone to get the vaccine – it means we can start to get back to normality.”
Also receiving the vaccination on Saturday was Joshua Ryder, a trainee nursing associate based at St George's, said: "For me, getting the vaccination is about protecting the most vulnerable in our society, including our patients. I am really happy to have been among the first to be vaccinated at the hub and I’ve been really impressed with how smoothly it went.”
Vicky Hitchens, a health care support worker also based at St George’s, said after receiving her vaccine: “I am so pleased that Covid vaccinations are underway and I wanted to ensure I had booked my appointment as soon as possible after receiving the invitation to do so.”
