Vaccine hub opens as hospitals warn they could be overwhelmed
The town’s leisure centre has now opened as a vaccination centre
HINCKLEY Leisure Centre has opened as a Covid-19 vaccination centre serving the local community.
All 132 GP practices across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are now providing either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccinations to all eligible patients.
This news comes as the director of public health warned hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed.
With infection rates at their highest, Professor Ivan Browne said: “The current lockdown will, we hope, help slow transmission rates – but over the next two weeks, Leicester’s hospitals risk being overwhelmed as these rapidly rising levels lead to more people requiring hospital care.”
HINCKLEY Leisure Centre has opened as a Covid-19 vaccination centre serving the local community.
All 132 GP practices across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are now providing either the PfizerBioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccinations to all eligible patients.
One of the first residents to receive their vaccination at the leisure centre was Jane Whitlock, 82, from Hinckley.
She said: “In the future I am so looking forward to getting out and about again, exercising and meeting friends.”
The Hinckley centre will cover patients from the following GP surgeries: Castlemead, Maples, Centre Surgery, Station View, The Orchard Medical Practice, Barwell and Hollycroft Medical Centre, Old School Surgery and Burbage Surgery.
You don’t need to do anything to arrange your vaccination as you will be invited by your GP. Patients are asked not to call their GP as staff are busy making appointments.
Stuart Bray, leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, said: “It’s important to provide a local venue that as many of our residents as possible can access easily, so the council has worked closely with NHS partners to transform part of Hinckley Leisure Centre into a vaccination centre.
“The roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is a positive way out of the disruption and tragedy arising from Covid-19.
“The council is keen to help in any way it can to support the battle against this virus and get everyone’s lives back to normal as soon as possible.”
A large number of people aged 80 and above and others in a priority group for the vaccine have been contacted by text and letter inviting them to make a vaccination appointment in Birmingham. The invitations were sent by NHS nationally and not by local GP surgeries or hospital.
Both doses of the vaccine need to be given at the same venue so if you go to Birmingham for the first dose you must return there for the second dose.
If you cannot get to Birmingham or if it would not be safe for you to travel, wait to hear from your GP surgery.
Dr Arshad Khalid, clinical director at Fosseway Primary Care Network, said: “On behalf of Hinckley Central and Fosseway practices we are delighted to start our Covid-19 vaccination programme from Hinckley Leisure Centre.
“Once underway we will secure further supplies of vaccine and accelerate delivery to our patients at the site which is local to them.
“Thank you for your patience and we look forward to welcoming you soon.”