Waitrose Marlborough delivered a large bag of goodies to the Kennet and Avon Medical Partnership (KAMP) surgery yesterday, March 18. It is hoped that the biscuits, chocolate and drinks will help to sustain staff who will be manning the vaccination clinic at Marlborough Leisure Centre this weekend.
Around 30 members of KAMP will be staffing the vaccination clinic, together with a dozen or so volunteer marshalls. Vaccinations are by appointment only and available for patients from all of the East Kennet Primary Care Network (Ramsbury and Wanborough, Burbage, Bedwyn, Marlborough and Pewsey.)
KAMP has invited about half of the over 50s to make an appointment. They have trialled an online booking service called Accubooks which sends a link to patients by text allowing them to book their own appointment.
Suzy Deering, Communications Officer at KAMP said, “This is an exciting development for the surgeries as it is a quick and easy way for patients to book their vaccine appointment and takes the pressure off our phone lines!
Any patient in the top 9 priority groups for COVID vaccination is now eligible to book their vaccine. This Saturday, we will have 10 vaccinators with 14 admin and support staff, all of whom are drawn from our PCN surgeries, together with a wonderful band of volunteer marshalls.
KAMP have introduced a quiet session at the start of the clinic with longer appointments for those who need a little more time and peace, eg. those with a needle phobia, those on the autism spectrum or those with learning disabilities.
The NHS is also inviting those in eligible groups by letter to book into the larger regional vaccination centres.
Second vaccines have started with clinics in Ramsbury Surgery for those patients who had their first vaccine 12 weeks ago, in line with NHS England guidelines. Patients will be invited automatically to these clinics; they do not need to do anything.”