Mobile Covid vaccination bus hits the road in Suffolk
The mobile unit is going to be touring parts of the county.
Last updated 9th Mar 2021
Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG has teamed up with Ipswich Buses to create a mobile vaccination centre which can travel around parts of the county targeting areas with a lower uptake of the jab.
It's hitting the road today and is due to be out and about for at least the next four months.
The CCG says it will be particularly beneficial for minority ethnic communities, those with certain disabilities, and others who are vulnerable due to poor access to static vaccination sites.
Two Primary Care Network's (PCN) are leading and supporting the facility: Two Rivers Medical Centre and Barrack and Ivy Street.
As well as making access easier, clinicians on board the vaccine bus will have time to answer questions and reassure anyone who has concerns about the jab.
Some of the clinicians will also be from minority ethnic backgrounds and volunteers from the community are going to be around to support them and help with translation when needed.
The bus will begin its tour visiting mosques, synagogues, international churches, and Ipswich town centre.
Appointments for vaccinations will be by invitation with some time slots kept free for open appointments and the opportunity to talk with clinicians.
There will also be specific slots for women only, people with learning disabilities or sensory impairments, and for those with low level anxiety or mental health problems.
The bus is also going to give clinicians a chance to speak to patients about self-care, diet, exercise, obesity and the importance of attending cervical screening appointments.
Ipswich Buses has provided the bus for free and has taken out some of the seats to make space for three Perspex booths as vaccination cubicles.
There are also areas in the bus for discussions with patients, and space for anyone needing medical treatment.
A special fog infection control machine will also be installed to sanitise the bus between appointments and electricity will be available for refrigeration and IT equipment.
Head of Partnerships and Alliance Delivery at Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG, Louise Hardwick, said: “We are extremely grateful to Ipswich Buses for their generosity and the way they have worked with us so enthusiastically to transform the bus into a self-contained, clean and safe location for vaccinations to take place.
"We can now be more reactive and target vaccinations in areas of the highest need as we move down the clinical groups.
"This will enable us to vaccinate the whole population more quickly, which will be instrumental in improving outcomes from Covid.”
General Manager, Ipswich Buses, Steve Bryce, said: “Ipswich Buses is delighted to be involved with this project to deliver COVID vaccinations to people in communities that might struggle otherwise to get to the fixed vaccination centres or might just need a little extra support when having their injection.
“Delivering the vaccination programme is key to returning back to some sort of normality so we felt we needed to help and give something back to the communities that support and depend upon our bus services.”
GP at Two Rivers Medical Centre and member of the Governing Body of Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG, Dr Ayesha Tu Zahra, said:“This is a fantastic opportunity to reduce the health inequalities we know exist for some people in accessing this life-saving vaccine. I’ve had the vaccine myself and am keen to share my own experience of that with people who are worried about having it, whatever their reasons might be.
"I’m also looking forward to getting to the more remote areas of the county to make the vaccination rollout more accessible to people who have difficulty getting to our static vaccination sites.
“We need to get as many people vaccinated as we can, not only to potentially save their lives but to possibly help reduce the risk of virus mutations. This bus will play a crucial role in enabling us do that."
Physician Associate and Clinical Director for Barrack Lane and Ivry Street Primary Care Network, Mr James Pawsey, said:“We have one of the mosts uccessful vaccine rollouts in the country in Suffolk and north east Essex.
"This is all about building on that and giving a bit of extra help to those who need it so they too can be a part of that success and help both themselves and their communities stay safe.”