A NEW Covid vaccination centre will be opening in Verwood.

It will be led by GP practices within the Crane Valley Primary Care Network (PCN) and opens on Saturday (December 18).

The centre had been due to open on January 4 but the date has been brought forward as efforts are ramped up to roll out the booster jab.

Clinics will take place at the Crane Valley Covid Vaccination Centre, 131 Newtown Road, Verwood. It is located next door to the Lake Road Surgery.

Vaccines will be administered during pre-booked in-person appointments.

The Crane Valley PCN consists of four practices - Barcellos Family Practice, The Cranborne Practice (including Lake Road Surgery),Verwood Surgery and West Moors Village Surgery.

Opening the Crane Valley Covid Vaccination Centre is expected to accelerate the delivery of booster vaccines to local patients with clinics scheduled over five days instead of the St Leonards Hospital clinics, which operate two days per week.

Dr Colin Davidson, the clinical director for the site, said: “Vaccines are the best way to protect people against Covid 19. It’s absolutely crucial that everybody who is eligible gets their booster jab to top-up their immunity at the earliest opportunity, so we are delighted to be able to provide additional booster clinic capacity.”

Patients should wait to be contacted with an appointment offered by their GP practices, initially by SMS text message. For those that don't have a mobile phone registered with their GP practice they will be contacted via phone. 

Patients over 16 will also be able to book an appointment for their first or second dose at the Crane Valley Covid Vaccination Centre.

The vaccination centre is looking for volunteers who have traffic marshalling experience to help at the clinics.

Those interested in volunteering as traffic marshals email Annie Morris, operations manager on annie.morris@dorsetgp.nhs.uk.

 

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