'It is a better site': Scarborough Rugby Club to become a Covid vaccine hub for the town

Scarborough Rugby Union Club is opening as a coronavirus vaccine hub.
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From Friday, eight GP practices in Scarborough and Filey will be offering immunisations against the disease at Silver Royd on Scalby Road.

The move is a bid to step up the number of vaccinations in the borough.

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“Now that more vaccine is available, we are pleased to be able to provide our service from a much larger and more appropriate site,” said Sally Brown, Clinical Director of Scarborough Core Primary Care Network.

Scarborough Rugby Club Operations Manager Graeme Jeffrey prepares the main hall.Scarborough Rugby Club Operations Manager Graeme Jeffrey prepares the main hall.
Scarborough Rugby Club Operations Manager Graeme Jeffrey prepares the main hall.

“We are looking forward to working with colleagues from Scarborough Borough Council and Scarborough RUFC who have made this possible.

“It has been a joint effort with everyone working together to get this service up and running at a new site.

“It means we can continue to offer vaccinations as soon as we receive them, as well as continuing to provide services back at our surgery sites.

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“We appreciate that some people may be anxious about getting to the vaccination site.

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“We are working with transport providers and will be looking for more partners to work with us to arrange transport for people who are not able to travel by themselves.”

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire CCG Accountable Officer, told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today the site had been chosen as it could accommodate a number of people coming through, which helped with administering the Pfizer vaccine which has to be used within three days of being opened.

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She said: “This site will allow Filey Surgery and other sites in Scarborough at GP surgeries to become more effective and more efficient at getting more people through.

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“I appreciate for some people it may not be as accessible as the GP sites might have been, however, in terms of getting through the number of vaccines required it is a better site.”

A number of local charities will be offering Covid-safe support, Mrs Bloor said, to get people to and from vaccination appointments if they have no transport. People will be offered the chance to take up the offer of help when they are offered their vaccine appointment.

Some patients will continue to get their jabs at the existing surgery sites at Central Healthcare’s Lawrence House surgery and at Filey Surgery.

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Patients who already have appointments to attend the surgery sites should attend the surgeries as planned.

Chief Executive of Scarborough RUFC Graeme Young said: “We are delighted to support the NHS with the rollout of the vaccination programme for Scarborough.

“Our senior staff have worked tirelessly over recent weeks with the local NHS and Scarborough Borough Council to ensure that Silver Royd is ready to welcome residents to receive their vaccination.”

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Clinical and non-clinical staff from Scarborough and Filey GP practices will be working at the rugby club to support the vaccination programme.

Volunteers and car parking stewards will be on hand to direct people to car parking and to the vaccination area along with Scarborough Borough Council marshals.

Scarborough Borough Council’s Chief Executive Mike Greene said: “We are proud to be playing our part in supporting the operation of this new, larger vaccination service for the benefit of local residents.

“We applaud the efforts of everyone involved in the setting up of the site and the community spirit shown by the rugby club in making their facility available to support the fight against coronavirus. We wish the primary care teams every success in continuing the vaccination rollout.”

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Scarborough and Filey has already vaccinated a large proportion of its over 80s population and is now working through the other priority groups.

Housebound patients are being contacted by GP practices to arrange vaccinations and staff and residents at the majority of adult care homes in Scarborough and Filey have now been vaccinated.

People should wait to be invited for their vaccine and will be contacted by their GP if they are eligible.