GP practices still the best place to deliver Covid-19 jabs, Sheffield GP insists

Heeley-Plus Primary Care Network Clinical Director Dr Ollie Hart, who has been against FlyDSA Arena being used as a mass vaccination centre, said the local medical practices have all the capabilities in administering the jabs.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, he said: "We are the right place to be taking centre stage in vaccine delivery.

"In general practice we do this sort of thing really well, we do flu (jabs) every year and we are just in the right place to persuade people who might be uncertain because they know us and they trust us.

"We know the sort of people who are less likely to come and we know how to reach out to them because we all have got relationships with them."

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He said people should trust their local GPs in delivering the vaccines as both the medical practitioners and the community play an important role in fighting against the virus.

"I think as a community working together, it is really important.

"It's a legacy for how we continue to build the credibility of primary care and how communities work and how our primary care developed as not just being a medical delivering process but as a way of combining the best part of health and wellbeing in our community.

"I would strongly encourage all my colleagues to get on board although there is a little bit of work to build your confidence, to build the systems.

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"It's really worth asking for the right support to do that because if we bring our communities out of this pandemic together, the legacy is so powerful."

Sheffield FlyDSA Arena opened its doors on its first day as a vaccination centre on Monday.

Dr Hart had previously questioned the opening of the mass vaccination centre when the Government should have given its focus on the GP hubs administering the vaccine.

He also revealed that eight out of 15 Sheffield GP hubs administering the Covid-19 vaccines have been forced to run on reduced supplies this week due to issues surrounding the national supply.

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In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.