Special Covid vaccination centres run by GPs are to open in Milton Keynes this week

Surgeries will group together to provide six centres in the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes CCG area to deliver the first jabs to registered patients over 80.

The locations for MK have not yet been announced, but it is likely the sessions will be held in church halls, community centres or other large venues to ensure there is plenty of room for social distancing.

The GPs have already taken delivery of the vaccines in what is the beginning of the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history.

Fully trained vaccinators will be administering the jab and people will have to stay in a recovery area to be monitored for 16 minutes afterwards.

The NHS will contact people in the priority groups when it is their turn to receive the vaccine.

Dr Nicola Smith, Chair of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Groups said: “This is a hugely significant step and provides hope that after months of shielding and making sacrifices, the most vulnerable members of our community will begin to receive a vaccination against Covid-19.

“This is a tremendous challenge for Primary Care – delivering the most extensive vaccination programme in our history, whilst also continuing to see our patients and maintain routine care, but we are up the challenge and our teams have been working tirelessly to make sure that all logistics are place, so that we can provide this important vaccine safely and closer to home.”

Eligible patients over 80 and care home workers will be invited to attend a PCN vaccination centre, if they are registered with one of the groups of practices delivering the vaccine.

Dr Smith said: “Whilst this is encouraging news, Covid-19 remains prevalent in our community and we continue to see an increase in infections. This will be a marathon and not a sprint, and so we ask everyone to continue to observe the guidance on hands, face and space.”

One GP in the local network said: “We are all eager to play our part in protecting people against Covid-19.

“As a GP I am proud to be part of this huge national effort to protect our patients against the virus and I would urge all of our patients to come forward when they are called up for the vaccine.

“We are getting some great responses from our patients when we call them, as this gives them hope that they will be able to resume normal life and see their families and friends again in the near future.”

This latest phase of the vaccine roll-out is being co-ordinated by GP-led primary care networks with more practices and community pharmacies in other parts of England joining on a phased basis during December and in the coming months.