New COVID-19 Vaccination Centre to open in Ludlow
More Shropshire residents will now be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 with the opening of the county’s new dedicated Vaccination Centre in Ludlow .
The new centre at Ludlow Racecourse opens on Tuesday 2 February 2021 and will be capable of vaccinating thousands of people every week as national supplies of the vaccine allow.
Vaccinations will be provided from the centre by appointment only, and people who are eligible to receive a vaccination will be contacted by the NHS with details of how to book.
Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care, public health and climate change, said:
“Our local vaccination services have already vaccinated many thousands of the people who need it most across Shropshire– and the launch of the Ludlow centre will give us the capacity to vaccinate thousands more each week as the national vaccination campaign is stepped up and supply increases.
“Readying the centre for its launch has required a monumental effort, with all of our NHS services working closely together with the council on all the necessary planning and preparation. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved – in particular the staff and volunteers who will be running the service – and we very much look forward to welcoming the first patients to their booked appointments.”
Shropshire residents who are without access to transport are now able to get free transport to their COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
In order to get help, you must have had a letter inviting you for vaccination, and you must be unable to get there any other way. Subject to availability, Shropshire Council will be able to provide transport to help you get to your appointment and back.
All vehicles will have appropriate ventilation, with strict infection control measures in place to ensure they are operated with the highest levels of public health safeguards.
Transport to the centre can be booked by calling the council’s COVID-19 Helpline on 0345 678 9028 (option 0). The lines are open Mondays-Saturdays 9am-5pm.
The Vaccination Centre will be staffed by clinicians, vaccinators, administrative staff, volunteers and marshals, who will help make a visit to the centre run as smoothly and safely as possible.
Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said:
“Shropshire’s new COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Ludlow adds to the existing vaccination services already up and running at our hospital hubs and at GP-led community clinics across our county. It means that people who are eligible to receive the vaccine now have more choice about where they can get vaccinated locally, further improving our readiness to protect as many people as possible from coronavirus as quickly as we can.
“While the vaccines are a hugely encouraging step in allowing current restrictions to be eased, it’s very important that once you have either dose of a vaccine that you continue to follow social distancing rules and any Government guidance on restrictions.”
How can people access the new Vaccination Centre?
The NHS will write to eligible people offering them the opportunity to book an appointment at the new Vaccination Centre via the NHS COVID-19 Vaccination Booking Service. Letters will invite those eligible who live in reasonable travelling distance of the centre, and who haven’t already been vaccinated by their local GP-led community vaccination service or hospital hub.
The letter that people will receive also explains that if you can’t travel to a vaccination centre, or there is another reason you can’t book an appointment at the nearest vaccination centre, you can choose to wait until your local GP services contact you if they haven’t already. If this is your preferred option – you don’t need to do anything now – wait for your GP service to make contact.
If you receive a letter and already have an appointment booked to have your vaccination at a local GP service, please ignore the letter. There is nothing you need to do and please attend your appointment.
Nobody needs to contact the NHS, as people will be invited when it is their turn, and people cannot get vaccinated by just turning up.
Ludlow Racecourse vaccination centre
People who book into Ludlow’s Vaccination Centre will be greeted by colleagues who will marshal car parking and register them when they arrive. Bookings are staggered to allow social distancing, and people are urged to support the smooth running of the centre by not arriving more than 10 or 15 minutes before their appointment time. They will receive a health status check and a pre-vaccination assessment before they have their jab. The whole process should take under 30 minutes.
Ludlow Racecourse vaccination centre
