Bristol's Mass Vaccination Centre to move
A new venue will host the site from 4 August
The Mass Vaccination Centre at Ashton Gate is going to move somewhere else in August.
Bosses at the stadium have announced it will go to the University of the West of England (UWE) from 4 August, so the stadium can prepare for the full return of sports fans at the start of the football season.
Vaccinations will continue at Ashton Gate until 4 August, but from then on all existing appointments for first and second doses will take place at UWE.
Everyone affected should be contacted by the National Booking Service.
"There is no need to contact the NHS about your appointment," a statement from Ashton Gate reads.
"While we would encourage people to attend the Vaccination Centre at UWE Bristol if possible, there are also lots of appointments available in South Bristol, at GP clinics and Community Pharmacy sites close to Ashton Gate Stadium."
They add that the new vaccine cantre at UWE will have a large free car park and is easily accessible by car and bus, but if the change in location is unsuitable, "people can amend their first or second appointment by logging into the National Booking Service and selecting ‘manage my booking'."
"Alternatively, they can call 119," they say.
Dr Tim Whittlestone, Clinical Lead for BNSSG Vaccination Programme, said: “Ashton Gate Stadium has been a flexible and generous partner for our large scale Vaccination Centre and we would not have been able to achieve the strong vaccination uptake in our area without Ashton Gate’s help.
"On behalf of the Programme, I’d like to thank everyone at the Stadium for their incredible support over the last seven months.
“I’d also like to thank all the staff and volunteers who have supported us at Ashton Gate; they have been phenomenal and we look forward to continuing to work with them at our new Vaccination Centre at UWE Bristol or elsewhere in our Vaccination Programme.”
Mark Kelly, Managing Director, Ashton Gate Stadium, said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to help play such a vital role in the vaccination programme here in the South West.
"The stadium sits in the heart of its community and when we redeveloped it as a multi-use venue, we could never have imagined what was to unfold.
"We are thankful we’ve been able to help and wish our newfound friends and colleagues in the NHS the very best.
“We now look forward to the full return fans and guests to the stadium and will continue to support the NHS in any way we can, including the smooth transition of the vaccination centre from Ashton Gate to UWE.”
The Vaccination Centre at UWE Bristol is located at the Conference and Exhibition Centre on UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus and has a capacity of up to 2,000 vaccinations a day.