NHS cannot be used as vaccination service every few months, jab chief warns

The national chief for the Covid vaccination programme has warned that the NHS cannot become a vaccination service every few months.

Emily Lawson also told healthcare staff in a briefing on Wednesday: “I have fed back to the Department of Health yesterday that I think realistically we don’t have the capacity to do anything else new over the next two-and-a-half weeks.

“And that when we plan for things and have the right lead-up to them, we deliver them more effectively, which in the end is very critical for public confidence.”

Her warning comes after the government announced plans on Sunday to rapidly accelerate the national Covid vaccination programme by offering all adults a booster jab by the new year.

On Monday, NHS England sent letters to hospital chiefs, GPs and local healthcare leaders setting out plans to speed up the programme, and said the first priority for primary care would be delivering vaccines.

Healthcare leaders were told they could drop non-urgent care in efforts to support the vaccine drive, however specific details on what treatments can be dropped are yet to be finalised.

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Source: The Independent, 15 December 2021