Only a few hours ago, we wrote about the failure to rollout vaccinations in Ludlow and south west Shropshire. We wrote about the need to vax now. Lobbying has been going on behind the scenes as Tracey Huffer and myself, along with many medical professionals, have been pressing home the message of vax now.
The news just in is that the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group has given permission for vaccination to start in care homes in this area on Saturday. That must happen. It will now happen.
The emergency is becoming so great we can’t afford to waste a day. The virus doesn’t care about holidays and weekends. It thrives on them.
This is at last the start of what will be a lengthy rollout of vaccination using the two vaccines. How long deployment will be will depend on supply far more than it will depend on medical resources. Which vaccine will be used will be decided by clinical assessment and by supply. There is more than enough vaccine being produced to go around but we don’t yet know when most of us will get it.
Our understanding is that the Saturday vaccination in care homes will technically be a pilot. But the level of confidence locally among medical professionals is high. That means we are expecting a rollout to all south west Shropshire care homes in the next couple of weeks. This will be the Biotech Pfizer vaccine initially. Once the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available locally, that might become the main vaccine.
Tracey Huffer, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow East said a few moments ago:
“This is great news. We have a job to do in vaccinating the most vulnerable. The new Covid variant is spreading rapidly. That’s a threat to people in Ludlow and south west Shropshire who are older and more vulnerable than average. We have all been ready to get on this job but health managers have been too slow making decisions.
“We can’t afford any delays. Every day matters.
“We need local vaccination. Moving people around to get vaccinated just adds to the dangers.
“Medical staff are working flat out to the point of exhaustion. They want to vaccinate now to help their patients. That will also reduce the pressures on the health service in the coming months.”
Andy Boddington, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow North added:
“The needs of rural areas such as south west Shropshire are often not understood. There is an attitude that rural areas cannot gear up quickly and get on with an urgent job as quickly as urban centres do. That’s never been the case. We just work differently. Lots of small actions quickly add up to the level of action that can be provided by a hub in a major town. We know how to make rural life work. Our medical professionals in south west Shropshire can deliver this vaccination programme and just need the power to get on with the tackling one of the biggest health crises of our lifetimes.”
We can now confirm that the first care home in Ludlow to get the Covid Vax will be Hagley Place.
From
Dr Beanland will be leading a team from Portcullis Surgery later in the week, in order to vaccinate residents and staff of Churchill Nursing Home.
https://www.facebook.com/LudlowGPSurgery
Where can we offer our services on a voluntary basis to help with the rollout of the vaccine. Both of us r ex NHS workers husband in pathology and me secretar/PA to surgeon
A great offer. Details on how to apply are here
https://www.shropshireccg.nhs.uk/news/be-a-part-of-history-and-help-in-the-battle-to-beat-covid/
Health managers are working slowly because they haven’t realised that we have left the EU and can now do things at our own pace.
If were still in the EU, vaccine approval and rollout would be a member state matter. We would not have needed approval for vaccines or actions. Off the top of my head, this EU approach was integrated into UK law around 2012 so is nothing new.
Andy
Once again thanks for your time and dedication to get these issues moving , BUT please can you and your fellow councillors not stop here with this issue. The Shropshire commissioning group need investigating and a reason for their slow inept planning exposing. Its not that they did not know a vaccine was coming so why were they not prepared- they need to be removed and replaced with people who can plan and see issues coming so you don’t have to get involved again