GP hopes for jab rollout this week

A SWADLINCOTE doctor says he hopes the coronavirus vaccine will be rolled out in the town this week.

Dr James Betteridge-sorby, a GP at Swadlincote Surgery, has also told residents that they do not have to travel to Birmingham to get the jab.

This comes as 18 GP practices in East Staffordshire started offering Covid jabs from the Pirelli Stadium in Burton on Wednesday, December 16.

The Swadlincote GP said in a video posted on the centre’s Facebook page that supply was being led nationally and that local GPS, such as himself, had no control.

He added that GPS would like to see a timely rollout of the jabs and evenly spread across the country.

Dr Betteridge-sorby also said that he had his own personal concerns about not having been vaccinated against the virus yet, with fears for the safety of his patients and family.

He urged patients not to call the town’s GP practices asking for access to the covid-19 vaccine because this may “delay care being given to our most sick patient”.

Dr Betteridge-sorby said the Swadlincote GPS hoped to start administering the covid-19 vaccine from the end of this week at Oaklands Village in the town.

This would include patients from all five surgeries in the town: Gresleydale Surgery, Heartwood Medical Practice, Newhall Surgery, Swadlincote Surgery and Woodville Surgery.

Meanwhile, Burton’s Queen’s Hospital could become a vaccination hub for coronavirus from this week, it has been revealed.

Gavin Boyle, chief executive of University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are also hoping that Queen’s Hospital Burton will be designated as a hospital hub and we’ll start vaccination there, too.”