Calls for a Covid-19 vaccination centre to be opened in Hucknall

Coun Lee Waters, councillor for Hucknall North Ward, said: “Hucknall is a large town with nearly 40,000 residents.

“We need a vaccination centre here locally, it is unfair that our area with such a large population of people should need to travel far and wide to get the vaccine, when we are trying to contain the pandemic in the first place and are currently in lockdown.

"I have helped people in their 80's and 90's book in a vaccine appointment.

"Some have no family to help them and they do not have their own transport, so it is very difficult for them to get to Nottingham or Kirkby and have been reliant on the goodwill of volunteers for transport.

"In addition many are not yet comfortable with public transport pre-vaccine, so it has been a struggle for them, thus they have put off getting the vaccine until there is a hub in Hucknall.

"A local vaccine centre in Hucknall, would make it easier and safer for our most vulnerable residents to have access to the vaccine and increase the take up.”

And Coun David Shaw, an Ashfield Independent councillor for Hucknall North said: “The Ashfield Independents have been leading calls for a vaccination centre in Hucknall.

"We have continually asked the Nottinghamshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to address this.

"Our calls have led to the lack of a vaccination centre in Hucknall being elevated to national NHS level. We have worked with businesses and community groups and offered a number of options for a centre in Hucknall. These calls have so far been ignored.

“We feel very strongly that a town the size of Hucknall should be offered the same services as places like Kirkby, Nottingham City and Sutton. As councillors, we have been co-ordinating transport for those who are struggling to get to the centres. This has been the case for dozens of our most elderly and vulnerable.

"We will continue to push for a centre in Hucknall for those who haven’t had it yet and somewhere in Hucknall for residents to get their second jab.”

A spokesman from the CCG said: “A number of Local Vaccination Services have already gone live with more sites set to go online in the next few weeks. This is a very careful process, and several rigorous checks take place to ensure safety, accessibility, power supplies, security and many other factors.

"We are working with NHS England and Improvement to support the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in more agile settings. We will be using these agile methods to boost uptake in areas that don't have a site. It is a process that takes time which cannot be rushed, and we are grateful for the public’s patience.”

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