THREE CHEERS
... as North East gets a third major Covid vaccine centre
Durham’s Arnison Centre is set to open next week as the region’s third Large Vaccination Centre with the aim to further increase capacity.
NHS bosses have confirmed that Boldon House, based at Arnison Centre on Wheatlands Way in Durham, will become the North East’s third large vaccination centre when it opens on Monday.
The centre joins the two Large Vaccination Centres at Newcastle’s Centre for Life and the NHS Nightingale Hospital North East in Sunderland.
The site will be known as the Arnison Vaccination Centre and will be run by clinical staff, people who have been trained to become vaccinators, administrative staff and volunteers all of who make sure the service operates as smoothly and safely as possible.
Dr Stewart Findlay, Primary Care Clinical Director for the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme for the North East and North Cumbria, said: “Already the NHS across our region has done and continues to do an amazing job getting as many people as possible vaccinated, as quickly as possible.”
“Opening up the third vaccination centre in the region helps us to reach even more people as the programme continues to expand, giving even more people the opportunity to have their vaccine.
“We have received significant support from local
partners to help us ensure this site is ready and that we can provide a good experience for patients and staff.”
Over 500,000 people in the region have already received the covid jab and the Durham centre will see further capacity added to the rollout.
According to the NHS, in the North East, all people aged over 80, nine out of 10 older care home residents, plus large numbers of front line health and social care staff have all received their
first vaccine. The vast majority of people in the 70 to 75 age groups have now also been offered vaccination as well as those who are classed as extremely clinically vulnerable.
Members of the public are invited to attend Large Vaccination Centres by the National Booking Service run by NHS England.
People receive a letter and are invited to book either online or by calling 119 between 7am and 11pm – only people invited to book can do so.