WE'LL JUST HAVE TO BE PATIENT - GRIMSBY HOSPITAL TO MISS OUT ON FIRST WAVE OF JABS

Grimsby's hospital - someway down the queue

GRIMSBY'S Diana, Princess of Wales, will have to wait its  turn before  receiving supplies of the new anti-Covid19 vaccine.

Along with its sister hospitals in Scunthorpe and Goole, it has not been included among those hospital hubs earmarked for the start of the biggest immunisation programme in UK history.

Its exclusion is likely to be for logistical rather than any other reasons.

There  is a complex challenge to deliver the vaccine from the manufacturers, Pfizer, to patients.

It needs to be stored at -70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used.

The first vaccinations are set to be administered from Tuesday of this week at the following 50 "first-wave" locations which include Hull and Lincoln:

* Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

* Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

* East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

* North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

* James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

* East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust

* Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

* Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

* Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

* St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

* Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

* Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

* Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust

* Royal Stoke Hospital

* Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

* University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

* United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

* Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

* Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust

* Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

* Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

* The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

* South Tees NHS Trust

* Wirral University Teaching Hospital

* Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

* Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

* Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

* Blackpool Teaching Hospital

* Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust

* Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust – Wexham Park Hospital

* Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – William Harvey Hospital

* Brighton And Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust –  Royal Sussex County Hospital

* Portsmouth University Hospitals Trust

* Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

* Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

* Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

* Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

* University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

* Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

* North Bristol NHS Trust

People aged 80 and over as well as care home workers will be first to receive the jab along with those NHS workers deemed to be at highest risk.

All those vaccinated will need a booster jab 21 days later.

GPs and other primary care staff are also being put on standby to start delivering the jab. 

A small number of GP-led primary care networks will begin doing so during week beginning 14 December with more practices in more parts of the country joining in on a phased basis during the rest of this month and beyond.

Vaccination centres treating large numbers of patients in sporting venues and conference centres will subsequently stand up when further supplies of vaccine come on stream.

Says Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director: "Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kickstart the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history from Tuesday.  

"The first tranche of vaccine deliveries will be landing at hospitals by Monday in readiness.

"The NHS has a strong record of delivering large scale vaccination programmes - from the flu jab, HPV vaccine and lifesaving MMR jabs - hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge to protect the most vulnerable people from this awful disease."

The life-saving vaccine will be delivered by a simple injection in the shoulder.