Royal Cornwall Hospital on stand-by to receive first wave of Covid-19 vaccines

Treliske is one of 50 across the country which is set up and waiting

Author: Sarah YeomanPublished 3rd Dec 2020

It is understood that the Royal Cornwall Hospital is one of 50 across the country waiting to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

The Pfizer and BionTech jab was approved for use by the regulator on Wednesday and will start being rolled out early next week.

800,000 doses are expected to arrive in the UK in the coming days, with the bulk will be delivered in the new year.

The Health Secretary says there will be "three modes of delivery" of the vaccine, with hospitals, mass vaccination centres and GPs and pharmacists offering the jab to those most in need.

A selection of hospitals are on stand-by to receive the first wave of the jabs, including Treliske.

Care homes have been placed top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and frontline staff.

Meantime, a Cornish MP is calling for an 'army of people' who are able to deliver the Covid vaccines.

Steve Double, who represents St Austell and Newquay. says NHS staff, GPs and pharmacists will need all the help they can get.

Anyone who has recently left nursing or with experience is being urged to get in touch.

"With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available in Cornwall from next week we will need an army of people who are able to actually deliver the injections.

"Whilst current NHS staff, GPs and Pharmacists etc will be mobilised, we are going to need all the help we can get.

"If anyone who has recently left nursing or working in the health service and has the appropriate experience is willing to help in this vital mission please drop me an email to - office@stevedouble.org.uk

"Please confirm in your email you are happy for me to pass your details onto RCHT and someone from the hospital will then be in touch."

Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay