Page last updated: 15 January, 2021, 2:02pm
International Centre for Life opens as the first large vaccination centre for the North East and North Cumbria.
International Centre for Life opens as the first large vaccination centre for the North East and North Cumbria.
People aged 80 and over are being invited to book a coronavirus vaccination at one of seven new NHS vaccination centres that open this week (Monday) with Newcastle’s International Centre for Life being the first such centre for the North East and North Cumbria.
Invitation letters are being delivered to people aged 80 or over, who live 30 to 45 minutes drive, from the new centre and explain how they can book a slot – over the phone or online through the national booking service. The Centre offers a convenient alternative to GP and hospital services and can each deliver thousands of vaccinations every week.
Nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other NHS staff working nearby are also being vaccinated along with social care and care home workers.
The NHS is the first health system to deliver the new Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine which is being rolled out to GP-led services and is much easier to transport and get to care home residents.
Professor Neil Watson of Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who is running the Covid Vaccination Programme in the North East and North Cumbria, said:
“The vaccination centres are an important part of the next phase of rolling out the vaccination programme more widely.
We are working closely with primary care who are doing an amazing job vaccinating their most vulnerable patients and making sure care home residents and staff get their vaccinations too. And now we have Oxford AstraZeneca, GPs are able to take vaccines to our housebound patients too.
“Our focus is on the top priority cohorts and we are all inspired by the potential of saving thousands of lives and knowing this gives many of us hope for the future.”
One vaccination centre will open in each of the seven NHS regions this week with many more expected to be up and running by the end of the month – with more to be confirmed in the North East and North Cumbria soon.
The first seven sites are:
• Ashton Gate in Bristol (South West)
• Epsom racecourse in Surrey (South East)
• Excel Centre in London (London)
• The Centre for Life (North East and Yorkshire)
• Eithiad Tennis Club in Manchester (North West)
• Robertson House in Stevenage (East of England)
• Millennium Point in Birmingham (Midlands)
The initial sites were chosen from those ready to vaccinate large numbers of people quickly to give a geographical spread covering as many people as possible.
The new vaccine centres will each be capable of delivering thousands of jabs each week but scaling up and down according to vaccine supplies and demand.
The invitations to attend are being issued to people aged 80 or over who are not listed as having been vaccinated at a hospital or GP service.
Prof Watson continued: “I’m extremely proud of our teams of NHS staff across the North East and North Cumbria who are pulling out all the stops to deliver Covid jabs as swiftly as they can.
“Teams in primary care, GP practices, in our local hospitals, across community health services, supported by our colleagues in local authorities, public health and adult social care. By working together we delivering the biggest vaccination programme there has ever been which will save more lives than any other
“It’s a joy to listen to the response from patients when they receive their vaccine, the hope it is bringing to them and their families, for many coming to get their vaccine is the first time they have been out for months.”
Those such as care home residents, who are unable to travel to vaccine centres, hospitals or GP-led sites are already being jabbed at home.
People who book in to a vaccine centre will be greeted by volunteers who will marshal carparks and register them when they arrive. Bookings are staggered to allow social distancing.
They will receive a health status check and a pre-vaccination assessment before they have their jab and then be observed for 15 minutes. The process should take well under an hour.
As with other vaccination services people should wait to be invited by the NHS.
The NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Booking Service can only be used by those who have received an invitation letter. It will also not be possible to get a vaccine at a Vaccination Centre or Community Pharmacy without an appointment. Doing so risks disrupting the work of NHS staff in protecting those at highest risk.
About Life
The International Centre for Life (Life) in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, is a pioneering ‘science village’ that opened in May 2000. For 20 years, researchers from Newcastle University, entrepreneurs, NHS clinicians, science communicators and educators have been part of Life – creating synergy as they work side-by-side, collaborate and share expertise on one city centre site.
This unique framework cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
When Life first opened, many people were nervous about genetics research and the concept of IVF babies. Life is proud to have been a pioneer in both fields.
It is home to the research team that created the world’s first cloned human embryo; the first fertility clinic in the world licensed to treat patients using mitochondrial replacement therapy, which was also researched and developed onsite; and a pioneering stem cell treatment that has restored the sight of many people.
The visitor attraction Life Science Centre welcomes about 300,000 visitors a year, inspiring people in North East England to explore and enjoy science and to discover its relevance to their own lives.
Life is a unique and entrepreneurial venture with a diverse portfolio of income generators. It has been successful in generating all of its operating costs to date. However, in line with most other businesses, it has suffered a dramatic reduction in income because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Life is working hard to maintain its business in these difficult times and is grateful to everyone in the North East for their continuing support.