NHS prepares dozens of Covid mass vaccination centres around England

The NHS is preparing to open dozens of mass vaccination centres across England to vaccinate people against Covid-19.

There will be at least 42 centres, based in places such as conference centres, and the NHS is planning to hire tens of thousands of staff to run them, the Health Service Journal reported.

The fresh details of how people will get the vaccine come as NHS England prepares to publish its “deployment plan” for how it will store, distribute and administer the vaccine.

Sir Simon Stevens, its chief executive, and Boris Johnson are expected to promote the plan during a press conference on Friday. The prime minister is currently self-isolating after close contact with a Conservative MP who tested positive for coronavirus.

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There will be at least one mass vaccination centre in each of the NHS’s 42 sustainability and partnership areas and the centres will be sited in cities and larger towns.

The Guardian reported last week that each mass vaccination centre will vaccinate between 2,000 and 5,000 people a day.

Derby city council has offered the Derby Arena to the NHS as a venue for one of the centres. “The arena is a perfect venue. It has plenty of space, parking and good transport networks to serve Derby, Derbyshire and beyond,” said councillor Chris Poulter, the council’s leader. “It’s an honour for Derby to have the opportunity to play such a critical part in any vaccination programme.”

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The NHS plans to hire 6,000 staff to run the centres in the south-east and 5,000 in London, suggesting that it will have to use 30,000 to 40,000 extra personnel, potentially for many months.

However, mass vaccination centres are likely to comprise the second phase of the NHS’s massive vaccine deployment effort. Around 1,560 GP-led “designated sites” will be the first places to issue the vaccine, initially to vulnerable groups, such as those who are shielding due to serious medical conditions and the over-80s.