Alnwick GP reveals frustration at limitations on local vaccine supplies

Although thousands of people have received their jabs at Alnwick Cricket Club, many have travelled to mass vaccination sites as far afield as County Durham to get theirs.

Dr Graham Syers of Alnwick Medical Group, who is also clinical chairman of Northumberland CCG, said: “It has been frustrating that national supplies have meant that people have been invited with a letter to mass vaccination sites when we could have had them all done locally if supplies were available to us.”

In an update to members of Alnwick Town Council, he noted that all over 50s and those in risk groups below 50 who are eligible should by now have had an invite to have it done locally.

"This has been a massive effort of logistics/coordination,” he said, also thanking the cricket club for providing the site.

He continued: “Moving forward we hope to continue to provide a local vaccination site for people under the age of 50 and boosters etc when required.”

Latest Covid figures show the infection rate – 17.80 positive cases per 100,000 – is at its lowest since the beginning of September.

Every council ward in Northumberland with the exception of Seghill and Seaton Delaval had fewer than five positive cases in the week to April 17.

Dr Syers said: “Covid itself has reduced in incidence, however we still need to be vigilant and follow guidelines on social distancing.”

“Looking to the future there is much we could do,” he added. “This may range from looking at civic responsibility – I think the litter picking movement at present is superb –encouraging volunteers to continue to be involved helping our more isolated or lonely residents, working on projects such as the community allotment and thinking about how we get people being more active and thinking about how our public spaces can be designed to contribute both to health and wellbeing and to commerce.”

He would welcome the opportunity for health providers to get more involved.

Mayor Lynda Wearn thanked Dr Syers and his team for their vaccination programme work.

She said: "It’s interesting to hear that they are frustrated that people could have been vaccinated locally if they had been given the supplies.”

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