Duke of Cambridge says Prince Philip is 'OK' on visit to King's Lynn vaccination centre
He's also been meeting with people receiving their jab
Last updated 22nd Feb 2021
Prince William has been out in King's Lynn this morning to visit a Covid vaccination centre at the Corn Exchange.
The Duke of Cambridge, who lives at Amner Hall, near Sandringham, has met with staff involved in the vaccine rollout and paid tribute to their hard work.
While at the centre, the Duke also gave a reassuring wink when asked about the health of his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh and said the 99-year-old was “OK”.
Questioned about Philip, who is in hospital, during a visit to a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Norfolk, he said: “Yes, he’s OK, they’re keeping an eye on him,” and gave a wink.
The Duke spoke to NHS staff and volunteers about their experiences, as well as speaking to those receiving their jabs.
During the visit, His Royal Highness spoke to NHS staff and volunteers about their experiences of being involved in the largest vaccination programme in British history. The Duke also met and spoke with a number of people receiving their vaccine that day.
Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust delivers the four large-scale vaccination centres across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk and Waveney, alongside a number of GP and pharmacy-led sites.
The vaccination centre at the Corn Exchange King’s Lynn opened on 1st February and has since delivered thousands of vaccines.
Margot Smith, immunisation nurse, was drawing up the vaccines today and said:
“It was great to explain the vaccination process to the Duke – he was really interested in my role in the vaccination centre today and my usual role as a school immunisation nurse."
Debbie Rudd, vaccinator, said:
“It was great to hear that the Duke was so positive about people having their vaccinations and he thanked us for everything we are doing to support the vaccination programme.”
Raj Thirunageswaram, Clinical Operations Manager for the King's Lynn site, said:
“It was a pleasure talking to the Duke and I was pleased to share with him how well all the different professionals here today work together as a team.”
Figures published by NHS England last week show that 307,716 doses of the vaccination have been given to people in Norfolk and Waveney.
These statistics show 94% of over 80s, 97% of 75-79 year olds and 73% of 70-74 year olds have received their first dose.
During the visit, His Royal Highness spoke to NHS staff and volunteers about their experiences of being involved in the largest vaccination programme in British history.
Sandra Laycock, vaccination nurse, who undertakes clinical assessments to ensure it is safe to deliver the vaccine to individuals, said:
“The Duke was really interested in all that we were doing here to protect people and help them return to a more normal way of life in the future.”
Mike Passfield, Clinical Operations Director for the Trust’s large scale vaccination centres, said:
“I’ve been privileged to lead the mass vaccination centre programme on behalf of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, and I enjoyed sharing with the Duke how many organisations have collectively worked together to overcome our logistical challenges and rolled out this life-saving vaccination programme.”
Husband and wife volunteers, Fliss and Stewart Davidson, added:
“It’s a great privilege to be part of the vaccination programme. We’ve been volunteering with the RVS since March last year and with the vaccination centres in Wisbech and King's Lynn for several weeks. The Duke was interested to hear how our role helps reassure people who are waiting to have their vaccine and how positive the atmosphere is at the Centre.”