Vaccine teams celebrate completing care home jabs

Lincolnshire Care Association calls it an important milestone in the fight against the virus.

Melanie Weatherley, chairman of LinCA, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to all of the NHS and social care staff who made this ambitious rollout – the largest in NHS history - a reality, and we look forward to further priority groups receiving their own vaccines in the near future.”

She said it had been an impressive feat in a county as rural as Lincolnshire, where smaller, community-based homes make up the majority.

She went on: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our county’s care home managers and their staff for adapting during this difficult time, all while supporting residents who are still unable to see their loved ones.

“We’d also like to show our gratitude to GPs and their staff who have made this rollout possible, even going as far as vaccinating people seven days a week.”

Covid vaccines have been continuing to be rolled out for Sleaford area patients at the Meres Leisure Centre in Grantham, meanwhile, a six-strong vaccine team from Sleaford area GP surgeries has been working their way around the 42 care homes in the area.

Karen Turner, lead nurse from Ruskington Surgery explained their day usually begins at 8am and generally they work through until 6.30pm. She is immensely proud to be part of what they have dubbed “The A Team” and said: “The whole team work so well together, and it has become a very smooth operation.”

Darren Altus, Operations Director has led the local programme. He commented: “The A Team did a brilliant job visiting all of our 42 care homes in the Grantham and Sleaford Area and vaccinating 2,000 residents and staff by January 24. I couldn’t be prouder of them and our 16 member GP practices that helped bring it all together. And of course, all the people in the care homes that are doing an absolutely fantastic job. We really hope that this brings some much-needed peace of mind and are very much looking forwards to doing it all again, finishing off the job with a second dose very soon.”

Just last weekend, between the Grantham Meres vaccination service, a pop-up service in the Sleaford area and the last remaining care homes they vaccinated nearly 2,400 people. “It really feels like we are making a big dent in this now,” he said, as they now target housebound patients.

Meanwhile, Holdingham Helpers community Covid support group has ten volunteer drivers offering to take elderly or less mobile people from Sleaford to vaccination centres.

Robert Oates, group coordinator said clients must declare that they do not have Covid-19 symptoms, have not been in contact with anyone with symptoms and are not isolating or taking a test. Clients must sit in the back with a window open, both must wear a mask and are asked for a £5 donation for petrol.