‘A privilege’ End of an era as fire station shuts vaccination centre
GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S NHS has marked the end of an era at one of the main coronavirus vaccination hubs in the county, Cheltenham East Fire Station, as their teams handed out their final jabs at the station.
The hub’s lead nurse said it had been “an absolute privilege” to work from the fire station to protect the population against a serious disease.
Now, the town’s fire station on Keynsham Road will return to solely saving residents from fires and car wrecks, while those that protected us from the first pandemic in a century return to the NHS.
Incredibly, more than a third of a million vaccines have been delivered at the site since December 2020, which accounts for almost one in five of all Covid jabs given to Gloucestershire residents.
The teams at the fire station worked in all conditions to deliver the Covid vaccine program and protect people in the county, work which continued up until this week when they delivered their final vaccine clinic.
Clinical Lead Nurse, Sarah Gallagher, said: “It’s been an absolute privilege to be part of this incredible group of people who have been working tirelessly to protect our local population against serious illness.”
She continued: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the approximately 500 staff and volunteers who have done a stint with us at the station, whether that’s as vaccinators, administrators or marshals.
“I have been truly humbled by their commitment and determination to make a difference to our community.
“It has been tough at times, working through heatwaves, freezing and icy conditions, incredibly busy clinics, not to mention the children’s clinics with special guest appearances from some very fluffy therapy dogs.
“But through all of that, my team have managed to keep a smile on their face and get the job done.
“Special mention must also go to Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, who have been generous enough to share their space with us for almost three years.
“With their support, particularly Response and Resilience Manager, Kevin Adcock, we have been able to protect some of the most vulnerable in our population against Covid-19, likely saving countless lives along the way.”
Dr Andy Seymour, Chief Medical Officer, NHS Gloucestershire, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service for their support over the last few years, as we’ve all pulled together to keep our communities safe.
“In addition to Cheltenham East Fire Station, the service was also involved in the early days of the pandemic, helping to supply PPE to community health settings.
“They also offered other stations as vaccination sites when we needed them, most recently in the Forest of Dean.
“It is hard to single out individuals in what has been such a monumental team effort, but Sarah Gallagher and her team have worked tirelessly to deliver hundreds of thousands of vaccines, we are incredibly proud of their work”.
Eligible people will still be able to access a Covid vaccine until December 15 by booking an appointment at a participating community pharmacy using the National Booking System (or by calling 119).