Trust supports new community vaccination centre
The NHS in North West London has opened a new large vaccination centre on Edgware Road. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is running the centre as part of a collaborative effort with Westminster City Council and etc venues.
The new centre is part of the next stage of the Covid-19 vaccination roll out, focussing on the latest priority groups: people aged 60 and over and people with long term health conditions. The large-scale site is capable of delivering thousands of life-saving vaccinations each week and offers an alternative to GP-led and hospital services that are already set up across North West London. The North West London integrated care system is the first in the country to have vaccinated over half a million residents.
People aged over 65 can go online right away and book their appointment for this centre on the national booking system without waiting for an invitation.
Imperial College Healthcare Trust chief executive Professor Tim Orchard said: “Staff across our hospitals are continuing to work incredibly hard to care for all of our patients, including many affected by Covid-19. We’re so pleased to play our part now in the community vaccination programme – as well as our on-going staff vaccination programme – as it is a key enabler in our route out of the pandemic and back to a more normal way of life and work.”
Pippa Nightingale, lead for the vaccination programme in NW London said: “I am incredibly proud to be opening up another large vaccination centre to protect even more Londoners from the harmful effects of coronavirus.
“It really is a team effort and the opening could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and volunteers, the support of the local council, businesses the wider community and the team at etc.venues where the centre is being hosted.”
Cllr Rachael Robathan, Leader of Westminster City Councilsaid: “We know that the route out of lockdown, and to open up our city again safely, is by rolling out the vaccination programme as quickly as possible. The NHS has already been able to vaccinate our residents with the opening of local vaccination centres in South Westminster and also at Lord’s Cricket Ground, and I am pleased that the NHS is now adding a further mass vaccination centre on the Edgware Road.
“We have been working with Community Health Champions and also with health professionals within our local communities to help encourage as many people to take the vaccine as possible. We hope that the opening of the centre, at this prime location on the Edgware Road, will encourage even more people to have the vaccine and help protect the lives of our residents.”
Dominic James, Venues Director, etc venues who operate the site at Marble Arch, said: “etc venues have had a long standing relationship with the NHS over many years and our experience in managing their complex events has given us the opportunity to work with their delivery team over the last 8 weeks to repurpose our Marble Arch venue on Edgware Road into a vaccine centre.
“We are delighted to support NHS England with their National Vaccination Programme and play our small part in helping to get the nation back on its feet, whilst our core business of providing inspiring space for events, meetings and conferences is suppressed.”
The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in the health service’s history, is being delivered as health service staff continue to treat seriously ill patients with Covid-19.
More vaccination centres will be launched in NW London in the coming weeks to increase the numbers of people who can be conveniently vaccinated each day.
The new vaccination centres will each be capable of delivering thousands of vaccinations each week, scaling their operations up and down according to vaccine supplies and demand.
Over 65s can book an appointment directly at a larger vaccination centre through the national booking system - www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week. There’s no need to wait for an invite.
Local GP led vaccination centres will focus on people in the clinically at risk groups such as those with long term conditions, due to their close relationships with their GP.
If you are aged 65 and over and haven’t had your first dose yet, speak to your GP or visit the national booking system to book an appointment, link - www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119.
People who book in to a vaccine centre should note marshals will be on hand to help people to the right place. Bookings are staggered to allow social distancing and please don’t arrive until five minutes before your appointment time.
Travel information is available at www.tfl.gov.uk/jabs
Notes to editors
In NW London our health and care partnership is a collaboration of over 30 organisations, including the NHS, local authorities, voluntary sector and Healthwatch. Bringing eight boroughs together, serving a population of 2.4 million, makes us the largest health and care partnership in the country.
