Derby Telegraph

Still no vaccinatio­n site in city but plans are in hand, say health chiefs

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DERBY is one of a number of places across the UK that currently has no establishe­d vaccinatio­n centre yet to enable people in the community to receive their first jab.

This is despite Derby Arena being of the first to be announced as a future vaccinatio­n venue back in November and four primary care sites being set up in the rest of Derbyshire.

But a spokesman for NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commission­ing Group (DDCCG) says that plans are in hand for the first vaccinatio­n centre to be opened in the city.

He said: “As the Covid-19 vaccinatio­n programme across Derbyshire continues to gather momentum, we are actively finalising arrangemen­ts for the first vaccinatio­n centre to be opened in Derby. We hope to be able to confirm the details over the next few days.

“This site will initially deliver the Pfizer vaccine, and we are awaiting further details regarding distributi­on of the new AstraZenec­a vaccine.

“This will enable us to open up additional vaccinatio­n sites during January and beyond, as part of the continuing, phased opening of sites across Derbyshire.”

The only place where people in Derby are currently being vaccinated is at the Royal Derby Hospital (RDH), which is not a primary care site.

The RDH has been vaccinatin­g patients and staff since December 8 and as of January 1, the University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust had vaccinated 5,000 people against Covid-19.

Those getting the jab there were made up of the over-80s patients, care home workers and NHS staff.

There are no vaccinatio­ns being given at GP surgeries in the city yet and, as of yesterday, there had been no community vaccinatio­ns administer­ed in Derby at all, only those at the hospital, according to Derby City Council.

In the rest of the county, elderly and vulnerable people in the community have already started to receive the vaccine at one of four primary care sites that have been set up, leaving Derby trailing.

These are in Dronfield, Ripley, Bakewell and Long Eaton and the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commission­ing Group say that more primary care sites will be opening up over the coming weeks as preparatio­ns are completed to ensure safe delivery.

Residents at a number of county care homes have also received vaccinatio­ns including at Milford Care in Belper and Ashbourne Lodge in Ashbourne.

Nationally, almost 13 million people – one in four – live in an area like Derby with no vaccinatio­n centre, resulting in the media dubbing the situation “a postcode lottery for those seeking the life-saving jab”.

In Nottingham, which is slightly largely than Derby with 335,000 people, the Queen’s Medical Centre is still the only place currently administer­ing vaccines.

 ??  ?? The only place where people in Derby are currently being vaccinated is at the Royal Derby Hospital
The only place where people in Derby are currently being vaccinated is at the Royal Derby Hospital

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