Rutland COVID-19 vaccination programme update - 1 Feb 2021
The Rutland Health Primary Care Network (PCN) has now administered first vaccinations as follows:
- Patients 80 years + - 94.7%
- Patients aged 75 to 79 - 93.5%
- Patients aged 70 to 74 - 25.7%
- Adult care homes - All 11 care homes have had vaccinations offered to residents
- Health and Social Care staff - 800 staff
Housebound patients
This week the vaccination of housebound patients in Rutland aged over 70 is underway.
All patients recorded as housebound have been sent a letter explaining the process. On the day of the vaccination you will receive a call from your practice telling you names of the clinical staff who will visit you, one of whom will be a member of the team at your own GP practice. All vaccinators will carry identification from the practice and the PCN, which you should check before admitting anyone into your home. Please do not let anyone into your house who does not provide this ID.
Shielding patients
Also this week and through next week, the PCN is working through group 4 of the vaccine priority list, which includes Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (shielding) patients.
You will receive an invitation by text message if you have a mobile phone listed with your GP surgery, and by telephone if you don’t. Other systems are in place for those who cannot use the phone. (Read more about the booking system).
This is a large group in Rutland of 3500 people, and it will take time for everyone in the group to receive invitations, so please be patient as the list is worked through - the PCN will make sure that no one is missed.
Letters of invitation to book at hubs & mass vaccination centres
Patients over 70 and shielding patients are also receiving letters from the national NHS programme inviting them to book their first appointment at a mass vaccination centre in Leicester, through a website link or by phoning 119. This booking process does not allow you to book appointments at our Rutland site in Oakham which is called a “Local Vaccination Service”. The letter also says that you may be contacted separately to book vaccinations at “GP surgeries”. For Rutland this means the COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Oakham, run by the PCN, rather than the individual GP surgeries.
In this letter you are asked to take evidence of being clinically extremely vulnerable (shielding). The evidence required is the letter you received from the government earlier in the pandemic about shielding. You do not need another letter from your GP – so please do not call your surgery but leave lines free for sick people needing care. If you have lost your shielding letter from the government, the mass vaccination centre in Leicester can access your summary care record to verify your shielding status.
You do not need to bring any letters to the Rutland COVID Vaccination centre.
All vaccination centres are working to the same directives, and cannot administer 2nd vaccinations at the moment, athough permission to do so is expected soon.
Further information and updates are available on the Rutland Health PCN website.
