Portsmouth GP surgery and Fareham Community Hospital will be Covid-19 vaccination clinics

Kingston Crescent Surgery in North End and Fareham Community Hospital are among the GP-led centres that will be take delivery of the Pfizer vaccine today and start clinics this afternoon and tomorrow for those aged over 80 as well as care home staff and other vulnerable residents.

It comes after hospital hubs across England began vaccinations last week, including one at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham.

Dr Matt Nisbet, GP and clinical lead for business and partnerships at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership of CCGs, said: ‘This is a very big moment for lots of people.

‘For those of us working in surgeries across Hampshire it is a huge task, but also a real privilege to be part of this national effort to protect ourselves from the virus. And for many of the patients we serve, receiving the vaccine will be a giant stride towards being able to live a more normal life again.’

The NHS is contacting people when it is their turn to receive the vaccine and residents are urged not to contact their surgery.

Dr Nisbet said: ‘We would love to be able to vaccinate everyone, immediately, but clearly that is not going to be possible. I would urge everyone to be patient – GP surgeries across the county will contact you when we can offer you the vaccine, and we will start with the most vulnerable people first.

‘The development of this vaccine, and hopefully others as well, is fantastic news but we must still take care to protect ourselves, and those around us.’

Chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, which runs the hospital in Cosham, Mark Cubbon told The News last Wednesday, on the first day of vaccinations, that it was a ‘historic day’ for the city but the vaccine was not a quick fix to the pandemic.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital 'under pressure' as Covid cases rise

He added: ‘This has been such a real difficult time for families and loved ones and for anyone as individuals but we need to maintain the discipline and whilst we can see the hope and potential the vaccine offers, it is months away before we start to see the whole benefit.’

QA medical director, Dr John Knighton, tweeted at the the weekend that the hospital was ‘very busy’ and ‘staff were working flat out’.

The other GP-led sites going live with vaccination clinics this week include Festival Hall, Petersfield, Bursledon Surgery, St Peters Surgery, Southampton and Carisbrooke Health Centre, Isle of Wight.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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