Covid Vaccination

General Practice in England has been told Covid vaccination will begin from 14 December. This is a welcome first step in a return to normality for many of us. It will however be will be a lengthy exercise, taking several months. Since March, we have seen Government overpromise and under-deliver on PPE, testing, tracking and tracing, ‘throwing a protective ring’ around care homes, and extending flu vaccination to more people. We hope Covid vaccination roll-out will be different, but we must be prepared for delays and disappointments along the way.

Spilsby Surgery expects that its team will be front and centre of hands-on vaccination, at the Franklin Hall, in the community and maybe further afield. However, at the same time, we must continue to provide essential services safely to all our patients and ensure our colleagues aren’t worked into the ground. We also fear that the ‘one size fits all’ national contract stifles the local flexibility and innovation essential to react to unpredictable events along the way. For these reasons, Spilsby Surgery has decided not to hold a contract with NHS England to run the vaccination service, but to work collaboratively with the healthcare providers that do. Many GP practices across Lincolnshire and England have decided to support vaccination in the same way.

The NHS will decide priority groups based on age, pre-existing medical problems, your job and the risk in your wider community. The dates of your vaccinations will not be affected by whether your GP surgery holds a vaccination contract or not.

We will share news of the local roll-out when we ourselves know more. Your Surgery team look forward to meeting you for your vaccinations in the coming months.

7 December 2020