West Sussex's first mass Covid-19 vaccination centre opens
It's as health teams complete their jabs rollout in care homes around the county
Last updated 2nd Feb 2021
West Sussex's first coronavirus mass vaccination centre is now open - as it's confirmed residents living in all care homes for older people in Sussex have been offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
The appointment only facility at Crawley Hospital in West Green Drive welcomed its first appointments on Monday (February 1st).
Residents who are eligible for a vaccination, and who live within a 60 mile radius of one of vaccination centres, are being written to directly by the NHS and invited to book an appointment.
The new centre is one of three in Sussex, alongside ones at the Brighton Centre and at the Welcome Building in Eastbourne, which also opened on Monday.
Siobhan Melia, Chief Executive of Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“I’m delighted we are able to open both Crawley Hospital and The Welcome Building as vaccination centres today for residents across the whole of Sussex, and I want to pay tribute to all teams from SCFT who have been involved in making this happen.
“The opening of both these vaccination centres today follows the successful launch at the Brighton Centre last week, and is all part of making the COVID-19 vaccination as accessible as possible to the communities we serve.”
Meanwhile, bosses at the Sussex Health and Care Partnership have said that the county has met the government's target to have all older care home residents vaccinated by the end of January.
In all, vaccination teams from GP-led services and the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust have been to more than 450 sites around the county.
A small remainder of homes in Sussex have had visits deferred for safety reasons, following a risk assessment, during local outbreaks.
The partnership has said these homes – as well as any other residents or staff that were unwell or unable to have a vaccine at the vaccination team’s initial visit - will be visited as soon as possible.
Frontline health and care staff across Sussex continue to be able to access the vaccine daily at vaccination centres or hospital hubs, including at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester and at Worthing Hospital.
Dr Allison Cannon, Sussex NHS Commissioners Chief Nursing Officer, said:
“By vaccinating thousands of older people across hundreds of care homes in Sussex we have given them not only some protection against the virus, but also a sense of hope.
“In Sussex we have one of the highest numbers of nursing and care homes per capita across the country and so this work is a significant undertaking.
"I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our vaccination teams for their ceaseless work around the clock to get this vital protection to our older people.
“We continue to vaccinate thousands of care staff every day. They have worked tirelessly to look after our most vulnerable people through some very difficult months and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their dedication and commitment.
"I would urge anyone in these roles to take the vaccine if you are offered it. Those working in care homes are at much higher risk of repeated exposure to the infection. Catching COVID-19 can be serious and may lead to long term complications, but you can also have the virus without any symptoms and pass it on to family, friends and residents, many of whom may be at increased risk.”
Vaccination teams hare continuing to work across the county to meet the target of vaccinating all care home residents, people aged over 70, and frontline health and care workers in Sussex by February 15th.