Immunisation gathers pace in town

The success of vaccinations for Covid-19 in Sutton Coldfield has meant the programme is ahead of schedule, with the over-65s now getting the life-saving jab after the town hall was added to the vaccination sites.

The target for all over-70s is Monday next week, but patients over the age of 65 are being contacted to come forward by Sutton Coldfield Group Practice for their vaccinations, starting this week.

No-one from the practice nor Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group was available for comment on the move, but the programme appears to have been enhanced after the group announced a change of vaccination arrangements from February 1. The it was granted permission by NHS England to change the designated Falcon Lodge Medical Centre to Sutton Coldfield Town Hall to enable it to triple current rollout, which stood at 2,300 per week at Falcon Lodge.

That site has revered to a surgery and open to patients again, while Ley Hill Surgery will continue to provide vaccinations.

There is free parking in the pay and display car park on Anchorage Road opposite the town hall and The Townhouse (Royal) pub has also granted free parking there for people attending for vaccination.

Both the Pfizer or Astra Zeneca ‘Oxford’ vaccines, both of which are very effective, are being administered depending on the deliveries received.

A spokesman for the practice said that permission for the change had been granted after a lot of work behind the scenes aided by University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) Trust, Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (BSOL CCG), Sutton Coldfield Town Council and local MP Andrew Mitchell.

A spokesperson added: “We have a wide pool of vaccinators including retired doctors and nurses, paramedics, nurses seconded from different organisations, physios, podiatrists etc to enable us to continue to deliver medical services from our individual sites. The site is active for 9 hours per day seven days a week vaccine supply permitting.

“We are pleased to report that Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust (BCHC) staff have also begun doing home visits to vaccinate our housebound patients who are not able to travel to any vaccination centres.”

The practice said it has received positive feedback from patients who have had their vaccinations at Millennium Point in Birmingham city centre. There is free parking right next to the centre and it is well signposted and marshalled with short waits.