A retiring GP is reminding people that the NHS will contact them when it is their turn to have the Covid-19 vaccine.
Doctor Carly Donald, who has been a partner at Portishead Medical Group since 1992, is retiring from general practice this month.
She says the medical group staff have been working ‘tirelessly’ since the first lockdown in March and they are administering vaccines to people most at risk from coronavirus ‘as fast as they can’.
The Government aims to offer jabs to 15 million people, the over-70s, healthcare workers and those required to shield, by mid-February as well as millions more by spring.
At the moment, people aged 80 and over, people who live or work in care homes, and health and social care workers at high risk are being given the vaccine.
Dr Carly Donald said: “We at Portishead Medical Group (PMG) have been working tirelessly since the first lockdown almost a year ago.
“We have a special Covid team in place which is headed by our business partner, Kath Payne, and two other partners who are working frantically behind the scenes.
“Kath is so important to us and she’s worked so hard to adapt to the changes to continue to give our patients the best service possible as well as introducing new ways of working such as video and electronic consultations.
"She has also managed to secure a local vaccination centre at PMG for patients in Portishead, Pill and parts of Clevedon. Without her, people would have to go to Langford to get a vaccination.
“My last day was on Christmas Eve but I have continued to be been involved with the vaccination clinic on-site with other colleagues from the local area.
“Some of our patients are asking when the vaccinations are coming. We don’t know the speed of the vaccine’s roll-out, but the clinic is set up and we’re raring to go.
“It’s a massive task and we’re currently vaccinating those most at risk of contracting coronavirus as fast as we can.”
Around 1,000 GP sites, 200 community pharmacies, 223 hospital hubs and seven mass vaccination sites should be up and running by this week.
The NHS will contact people to let them know when it is their turn to have the jab.
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