Make vaccine available at all GPS and pharmacies

This week I am pleased to support the call by this newspaper for the vaccine to be made available to be administered by all local GPS and pharmacies. Now that supplies of the Oxford vaccine are available it would speed up vaccination and save lives. The UK has got off to a great start and is well ahead of all other European countries. Over four million have received the lifesaving vaccine.

I pay tribute to the Sussex health authorities for their brilliant work so far. But we need a ‘war effort’ and that involves NHS England mobilising all our nation’s resources, not leaving some idle despite their proven ability to administer vaccine as they do in the annual flu programme.

Here in West Sussex we have a high proportion of vulnerable residents combined with a poor rural transport network. An approach which relies solely on vaccine hubs in the larger medical centres leaves too many ‘not spots’ with residents exposed to delays. Arundel, Petworth and Henfield each have much valued GP surgeries and pharmacies yet their octogenarian residents are being asked to make a wintry journey to be vaccinated in a different town.

I am maintaining a page on my website – www.andrewgriffithmp. com – to provide the latest information from your local GP or vaccination hub.

I know that some constituents worry about stories of the roll out moving onto the over-70s in some areas and some clinics. I have launched my ‘No One Misses Out’ list, where you can register online and for your peace of mind, we will stay in touch to ensure that you have been contacted to get the vaccine. Please note I do not and will not have access to your medical records.

My focus is on areas such as Arundel and Petworth which started vaccinating later than others.

Vaccinations are now live for Arundel patients in the top priority groups. They have been allocated the Pfizer vaccine and are managing distribution from the Regis ‘hub’ at Bognor Health Centre.

Arrangements are being made to vaccinate housebound and care home residents - this is very difficult to achieve so they are asking if people would travel to the hub if where possible once contacted. Once the Oxford vaccine is more widely distributed it is hoped that Arundel can vaccinate at the surgery itself.

In Petworth, care home residents in have now been vaccinated. The over80s are now being invited to either Pulborough or Riverbank.

Whilst Petworth were not in the first wave for the Pfizer vaccine, I fully support the practice to be a wave centre for the Oxford vaccine and will keep pressing for this to happen at every layer of decision making within the

NHS system.