Kenilworth Covid-19 vaccine rollout forced to expand as more pressure put on local centres

By James Smith 1st Dec 2021

Covid-19 vaccinations will now be administered six days a week again from the NAEC Stoneleigh as the NHS accelerates its booster programme.

Kenilworth and Warwick PCN had "scaled back" its rollout in recent weeks to ease the demands on staff, but government pressure to accelerate boosters has seen this reversed.

Bosses have reverted to six days a week as the vaccine site moves to Stoneleigh from the Riverside Hotel.

Speaking at last night's Kenilworth Community Forum, PCN strategic manager Ryan Smith explained the reason for the initial changes.

"We wanted to scale down because we were conscious that the workforce was struggling – we have been doing this for 12 months now," he said.

"People's day jobs were suffering, particularly GPs and nurses on the front line, but in other industries as well.

"Volunteers were never a reason - it was a conscious decision by me and the management team to scale back to give the guys a break."

But with 50 mass vaccination centres closed around the UK, more pressure is now being placed on local sites.

Kenilworth and Warwick PCN has now started accepting appointments for patients outside the network.

Mr Smith added: "We are delivering Covid vaccines and flu vaccinations in the midst of a workforce crisis. The hospitals around us are under extreme pressure but we have a fantastic team at Stoneleigh.

"We have over 100 volunteers who day in day out come down to help out. And we have 80 GP and nurse colleagues and we have 75 unregistered vaccinators – people who are not nurses or GPs."

And now with other 113,000 local people vaccinated councillors and residents thanked Mr Smith for the work of his team.

Cllr John Cooke said: "I am sure that everyone in Kenilworth welcomes the excellent work that you and your team have put in

"I have visited both the sites, the operation that you have done has been fantastic and professional.

"You will see posts on social media that say how smooth and well run the service has been. I and the people of Kenilworth would like to thank you for all the excellent work that you have done here."

More Kenilworth news stories:

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- 425-house Westwood Heath project still on track despite reports of supply shortages

     

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