Covid jab centre victory
VACCINATIONS AT HOTEL – AFTER COUNCIL LEADER SENDS 15 LETTERS TO HEALTH BOSSES
A COUNCIL leader has welcomed news that a Covid vaccine centre will finally be set up in Broxtowe – after writing to health bosses 15 times.
Milan Radulovic, leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, said his area was the only place not covered by a vaccine centre programme in the whole county.
It meant a potentially long trip to the nearest vaccine centre for people living in the north of the borough, in areas such as Kimberley, Giltbrook and Eastwood.
Elderly and vulnerable people were worried that they would need to use public transport or taxis to get to the nearest vaccination sites – at the Queen’s Medical Centre and King’s Meadow Campus, after shielding since last March.
But Broxtowe will be covered from Monday, at The Village Hotel in Brailsford Way, next to Chilwell Retail Park.
The NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group has written to Councillor Radulovic informing him of the plans.
It says: “This is a pharmacy-run service being delivered by Pharmacy2u Limited. I understand that the first vaccinations will be delivered from March 5 but it is likely that appointments will be available to be booked from earlier in the week.
“Residents will be able to book into the site through the National Booking Service – by calling 119 or by going to the website.
“This new site supplements our existing range of locations and will be a further convenient option for residents of Broxtowe to access their vaccination.
“The programme as a whole is continuing to evaluate the data on uptake of the vaccines in our communities and we are exploring where we need to establish other vaccination sites over time.”
Councillor Radulovic told the Post: “Since the vaccine programme was launched I have written to the CCG 15 times now about putting the case forward.
“I felt we had been missed out and hope now they are addressing that. The concerns have been around travel.
“I have had dozens, and I mean dozens, not two or three but 50 to 60 emails.
“They say ‘we can’t travel that far for a vaccine’ and ‘that it is difficult to access the vaccine programme.’ It is OK to say ‘we will provide taxis’ but someone who has been shielding since March and then to tell them to get into a taxi or on a bus 10 to 12 miles is disorganised logic.”
He said he has asked the uptake of the vaccine programme in Broxtowe but believes it is “under performing.” He hopes this centre will now shorten the gap.