EFFORTS to vaccinate the people of St Helens are on course to reach a major milestone this week.
The primary care network-led arm of St Helens’ vaccination programme has been up and running since December, with GP practices working flat through the top four priority groups.
Mass vaccination clinics, supported by an army of volunteers, are being held at Saints’ rugby stadium near almost every day, dependent on supplies.
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It is understood GPs are on course to deliver 25,000 Covid jabs by Wednesday, as they work their way through the over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.
The work carried out by the borough’s GP practices is being done so alongside the regional mass vaccination programme, which is being led by St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The regional mass vaccination centre shire and Merseyside is also based at Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium, on a different floor, and has been open for three weeks.
NHS England has refused to disclose how many Covid jabs have been dispensed at the site, which aims to administer 1,000 jabs per day, seven days per week.
It is understood the vaccination programme has been going well over the 23 days it has been operational.
The GP-led vaccination programme was given a huge shot in the arm around a month ago with the arrival of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which provides greater flexibility than the Pfizer jab.
Previously, GPs were unable to vaccinate housebound patients and the majority of care workers during the first wave of jabs, but the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine changed that.
Boris Johnson has said he wants everyone in the top four priority groups to have been offered a first dose of one of the vaccines – around 13 million people – by mid-February.
A spokesman for St Helens CCG said the primary care network-led vaccination programme is on course to reach this target by the end of next week.
The magnificent efforts have been supported by volunteers from St Helens and Halton VCA and from St Helens CCG.
GPs have also called upon three retired dentists, Andy Cow, Steve Bass and Mark Flett – older brother of St Helens GP vaccination programme lead Dr Hilary Flett.
The trio met at Liverpool University in the 70s, and have remained friends ever since.
They are all retired but are unable to visit family, grandchildren or go on planned holidays in the current climate, so instead volunteered their time and expertise to help out in St Helens as volunteer vaccinators.
Dr Flett said: “It’s great to have Mark come on board and use his expertise where it’s really needed at the moment – vaccinating our patients against Coivd-19.
“I spent last week training him and was the first time in my life ever I’ve been able to tell Mark anything, always being his little sister.”
Staff from the borough’s GP practices have been to every care home in the borough to offer vaccines to staff and residents, and have also vaccinated 1,100 housebound patients.
Julie Norris, a practice nurse at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre, has been a prominent figure in this element of the GP-led vaccination programme.
Katie Etheridge, Marshall’s Cross practice manager, said Julie deserves a medal for her dedicated work.
She said: “Julie has worked throughout the pandemic despite having Covid herself last year.
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“She has continued to review patients in the practice along with our GPs and has played a key role in delivering the Covid vaccines both in nursing homes and patient’s own homes as well as at the mass clinic at Saints
“Throughout it all Julie always has a smile on her face and is a very valuable member of the nursing team, we are extremely proud of all of the team here at Marshalls Cross we have had to adapt quickly to the changes that this pandemic has brought but as a team we have faced these challenges together.
“Julie deserves a medal and the recognition for her dedicated work to and for our patients.”
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