ON THE FRONT LINE: Do we really need a mass vaccination site in Sheffield?

On January 5 our GP vaccine centre opened its doors.

In the first 3.5 days we vaccinated 2,500 people, at a rate of 700 people a day. The vaccine site at Mathews practice is acting as a hub for eight local GP practices.

We are part of what the NHS calls primary care networks. We have been working together for 18 months now, and we are learning to work well as teams.

There are 15 of these networks of practices across our city. Each of them has set up a similar vaccination hub.

We have learned how to give vaccines quickly and safely in places that people live. We are practices working to protect the people who know and trust us, who we will continue to care for in many years to come.

We are really proud of how quickly as a group of primary care networks we have administered these vaccines, this is the NHS at its best. Yorkshire leads the country, and Sheffield has been one of the leading cities in the country. To be honest we have all jumped at the chance to do something positive.

There is nothing any of us want more than to see the back of this third lockdown and global pandemic. What could be more important to us as health care professionals than getting these vaccines safely rolled out?

But now our supply has dried up. We are facing the prospect at our centre of just 400 vaccines for a two week period. We are told this is because there is a national shortage of vaccines. We have to allow other parts of the country to catch up with us, so that the vaccines are fairly distributed around the country to the most vulnerable. We understand that, it’s important that if vaccines are limited they are equitably distributed around the country.

So It does beg the question why do we need a mass vaccination site? We read about plans for a centre at Sheffield Arena (no one has talked to us about what might be needed). With these established GP hubs crying out for vaccines how can we afford for vaccines to go to these sites? GPs of the city believe we would be much better served if our national leaders focused all their efforts on increasing the supply, there is no problem with delivery here.

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.