Coronavirus: This is when GP surgeries hope to start vaccinating Chichester and Bognor Regis residents

Residents in Chichester and Bognor Regis could start receiving the Covid-19 vaccination in early January, it has been revealed.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

NHS bosses said all teams are working to make sure preparations and checks take place 'as quickly as possible' for surgeries in Chichester and Bognor.

Three sites in the Chichester district are due to begin 'supporting' the distribution of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine next week but the names of the surgeries are yet to be revealed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The rest of the sites in Chichester and Bognor are expected to go live in January.

People are being urged to wait until you are contacted, rather than contacting your local surgery for information. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)People are being urged to wait until you are contacted, rather than contacting your local surgery for information. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
People are being urged to wait until you are contacted, rather than contacting your local surgery for information. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)

A Sussex Commissioners statement read: "All sites will soon have gone live and be working at the same time as each other through the eligible groups for vaccination."

The comes following concerns that the vaccination process had been delayed.

However, Sussex Commissioners stressed that some sites in the county have been 'easier to prepare' and 'so could go live more quickly'.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Other sites, meanwhile, have 'needed more preparatory work' to ensure teams can 'safely offer the vaccine in line with national guidance'.

A spokesperson said: "The NHS is working extremely hard to get the vaccine to everyone who is eligible as quickly as possible.

“GP practices are working with partners at pace to identify and prepare sites that are safe and suitable for this type of vaccination service so that patients can start to receive their vaccinations."

The Observer understands that deliveries of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine are arriving to surgeries in batches of 975 and they have to be used over three days — with more than 300 people being vaccinated a day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

People are being urged to wait until you are contacted, rather than contacting your local surgery for information.

"You will be contacted by the first NHS service that can offer you the vaccine, whether that be at a hospital hub or a GP led vaccination service," the spokesperson said.

“Please do not contact your GP or other NHS service to ask for the vaccine, you will be invited to receive it when it is your turn.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.