Over 10% of entire Western Trust population now vaccinated - 35,000 issued to date

This is over 10% of the entire population in the Western Trust area, which stands at around 303,000 people.

The 35,000 plus vaccines delivered have been due to the coordinated efforts of the Western Trust teams in collaboration with Multi-Agency groups and are in addition to GP Surgeries, who continue to vaccinate patients within their primary care settings.

This welcome milestone comes days after the Department of Health (DOH) launched a telephone booking line for vaccination appointments to complement the existing online service. The move is designed to help improve accessibility now the vaccination programme has opened to those in the 65-69 age group.

As part of the largest mass vaccination programme ever undertaken by the NHS, the Western Trust is operating three vaccination centres, located at Foyle Arena in Derry, Omagh Leisure Centre and Lakeside Leisure Centre, Enniskillen.

With all three centres operating simultaneously, local NHS staff have been able to vaccinate in excess of 1,000 people per day, with as many as 1,417 recorded in a single day across the three sites.

Commenting on the hugely successful efforts of the vaccination programme, Western Trust HR Director and Vaccine Programme Lead, Ann McConnell, said: “I am extremely pleased to see that the Trust has reached such an impressive total of 35,000 vaccines since the programme began in mid-December 2020.”

“This has been achieved through the hard work and dedication of Trust staff who have delivered a concerted and co-ordinated effort through Care Homes, Supported Living Units and at our three mass vaccination centres.

“Although we are happy to have hit this very welcome milestone we are not in any way being complacent and understand the scale of work that still lies ahead.”

“As a Trust we will continue to put all our efforts into the vaccine programme and with the ability at our mass vaccination centres to be able to vaccinate over 1000 people per day, we believe we are well prepared to do so.”

To help the operation continue to run smoothly everyone attending is reminded to wear a face covering (unless exempt for medical reasons), adhere to social distancing rules and have their booking reference number and HSC number if possible.

GPs across the Trust area are working in parallel with the vaccination centres and are focussing on the 70 plus group. This group cannot use the booking facility; however, GPs are making contact directly with patients in this age group and therefore there is no need to phone the practice directly.

Those aged 65-69 can book online vaccination bookings can be made at: covid-19.hscni.net/get-vaccinated/Telephone bookings can be made at: 0300 200 7813 and is available from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.