Wakefield vaccination service moves to new location to keep the jabs coming

Fittingly, just before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Covid-19 Community Vaccination Centre at Navigation Walk will be moving to its new location at Queen Elizabeth Vaccination Centre, Queen Elizabeth Rd, Eastmoor Road, from May 28 as the vaccination programme moves into its next phase.

Building on the success of the vaccination service delivered from the Spectrum Community Health CIC premises at Navigation Walk, the vaccination centre will be moving and operating additional roving ‘pop up’ clinics in local community settings, which will allow the service to respond to the needs of different patient groups, including all five to 11-year-olds and those who are eligible to receive their ‘Spring booster’.

Suzannah Cookson, Chief Nurse, NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Senior Responsible Officer for the vaccination rollout in Wakefield, said: “Vaccinations are still vitally important to make sure we keep COVID-19 at bay.

"We have been looking at how we can best meet the needs of people who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as delivering the latest recommendations regarding vaccinations for all five to 11-year-olds and ‘Spring boosters’ for people at greatest risk from Covid-19.

“The roving approach, which is something that we have already been doing in the district, will help us to continue to meet the differing needs across our range of communities as effectively as possible and make sure that vaccinations continue to be easy and convenient to access for people across the district.”

The vaccination centre at Navigation Walk, Wakefield will close on Saturday, May 28, and the team working there will move to Queen Elizabeth Vaccination Centre.

There is free parking available at Queen Elizabeth Vaccination Centre, for those coming to be vaccinated, and the site is also on a public transport route.

In addition, vaccinations are available at centres run by local GP practices and community pharmacies across the district.

Suzannah also paid tribute to the hard work of all those involved in the Navigation Walk centre and said they had played a vital role in protecting people.

She said: “The Community Vaccination Centre at Navigation Walk has been a real team effort and played a huge part in the success of people across the district having their vaccinations as quickly as possible.

"Thanks to the efforts of the NHS organisations, Spectrum Community Health CIC and volunteers who have been involved from day one, thousands of people have been protected against COVID-19, reducing their risk of being admitted to hospital or sadly dying.

"So thank you to each and every person who has been involved.”

With increased appointments available for COVID-19 vaccinations in the local area, the primary care-led vaccination clinic at St Swithuns Community Centre, a short distance from Queen Elizabeth Vaccination Centre has now closed. In addition, the primary care vaccination team will no longer be using Castleford Civic Centre as their base, with the service moving to Castleford Health Centre to supplement other vaccination clinics in the local area.

David Melia, Director of Nursing and Quality at The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I’d like to thank everyone; my colleagues at the Trust and those from local partner organisations, for the part they have played in running the Community Vaccination Centre at Navigation Walk.

“There is no doubt that the national vaccination effort has played and continues to play a huge part in the fight against Covid-19. I’m proud of the contribution we have made to that effort, which I know will continue from our new location at Queen Elizabeth Vaccination Centre.”

If you have an appointment booked on or after May 28 then you should have received a text message or telephone call from us to let you know. If not then please contact the helpline on 07526 971964, between 8:30-4:30 Monday – Friday, or email [email protected] .

Anyone needing a vaccination can book an appointment at http://www.nhs.uk/covidvaccine or by calling 119 free of charge.

Details of local walk-in clinics are also available on the NHS Wakefield CCG website.