Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti has praised the staff and volunteers delivering the nation’s coronavirus vaccination programme after a visit to the Concord Medical Centre in Little Stoke yesterday. During the visit, Jack met the team delivering thousands of vaccines every week as well as patients receiving their jabs.
Nationally, over 9 million people have now received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. In Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, the latest data shows that 115,219 doses have been given out, which means over 86% of over 80s across the region have had their first dose. The NHS has also confirmed that the jab has been offered at every eligible care home in England.
The Stokes Primary Care Network (consisting of Bradley Stoke Surgery, Concord Medical Centre, Coniston Medical Practice and Stoke Gifford Medical Centre) are vaccinating their patients with both the Pfizer and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines. The Pfizer vaccines have restrictive transportation and storage limitations that require that they be delivered from a central location and Concord was selected to host these multi-practice clinics. Thanks to the hard work of the staff from the four Stokes Primary Care Network practices and volunteers, and the incredibly efficient process they have in place, it is taking as little as 1 minute and 36 seconds from entry to exit for patients to be vaccinated. Patients receiving the Pfizer vaccine must then wait 15 minutes for observation. During their most recent vaccination days, the four network practices gave out 1,658 doses over 2 ½ days, including 650 on Saturday morning alone.
After his visit, Jack Lopresti MP said:
I was amazed by the organisation and support at the Concord Medical Centre for the ongoing vaccination programme. The process was so efficient and friendly, and the whole team are doing amazing work.
We are hugely grateful to everyone, be they staff or volunteers, who are working so hard to make sure we can all be vaccinated and kept safe from coronavirus as quickly as possible.
The speed of the rollout in our area has been phenomenal and it’s thanks to the efforts of those on the front line that we can look forward to something more like normal.”
Practice Manager Dawn McCaffrey said:
We have had so much feedback from patients on how well organised and efficient the vaccination clinics have been, and how much the different teams have enjoyed working together.
We couldn’t have done this without our team of volunteers, many of whom are furloughed, or self-employed who have offered to help. We also must thank Little Stoke Social Club for allowing vaccination teams and patients to use their car park on vaccination days.
We have all pulled together to help our community and it has given everyone a huge lift.
