Ludlow MP Philip Dunne welcomes roll-out of vaccines for frontline health workers
A Shropshire MP has welcomed the start of vaccinations for frontline healthcare staff against Covid-19.
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said he was "so pleaded" new guidance from NHS England states all NHS trusts will establish hospital hubs with responsibility for delivering coronavirus vaccines.
Priority will be given to frontline staff at high risk of acquiring infection, at high individual risk of developing serious disease, or at risk of transmitting infection to multiple vulnerable persons or other staff in a healthcare environment.
It is expected that trusts will provide vaccines for frontline health staff seven days a week.
Mr Dunne said: “Our frontline NHS and care staff have been at the forefront of tackling this disease for the past year, for which we all owe our profound thanks. The JCVI has identified the need to vaccinate health and care staff as soon as possible, so I am pleased NHS England has made clear how this will be coordinated from hospital hubs.
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"I have spoken to NHS leaders in Shropshire who confirmed they will be looking to vaccinate frontline staff as quickly as possible.
"This is a priority part of the massive logistical task, six times the annual flu jab in scale, with 325,000 people in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin in the first wave of priority groups, who will need to be inoculated twice with the vaccine over 12 weeks.
"At the rate of some 325 per day for the Pfizer vaccine per vaccination pod, this gives some idea of the challenge ahead.
"There is enormous willingness to achieve this among those being trained to vaccinate and overwhelming public support for all those involved.
"We can show our appreciation by clapping for heroes each Thursday evening.”
Frontline roles set to be given vaccines include staff on the vaccination programme itself; those who have frequent face-to-face contact with patients and who are directly involved in patient care in either secondary or primary care, mental health, urgent and emergency care and community settings; those working in independent, voluntary and non-standard healthcare settings such as hospices and community-based mental health or addiction services; laboratory, pathology and mortuary staff; those working for a sub-contracted provider of facilities services such as portering or cleaning; temporary, bank or locum staff working with patients; and frontline social care workers directly working with vulnerable people.
