Here is the latest update from Matthew Kershaw and Agenlo Fernandes on the vaccination programme.
We have now vaccinated over 320,000 Croydon residents and this is in no small part down to the hard work of our fantastic GPs and their teams in our six GP-led vaccination centres.
As we return to near-normal health services and focus on our recovery plans, five of our six GP led vaccination centres are now winding down and will close by the end of June 2021. With higher demand than before the pandemic, our hard-working GP teams will be re-focussing on their clinical practice.
The Valley Park Vaccination Centre led by Mayday South Primary Care Network is continuing to offer the vaccine to patients.
Of course people who meet the eligibility criteria are still able to receive their vaccine in the local area by booking their appointments through the national booking system here or by ringing 119. There are thousands of bookable appointments each week in Croydon at:
- Centrale Shopping Centre
- Selhurst Park Stadium
- Croydon University Hospital
- Mayday Community Pharmacy on London Road
- McCoigs’ Pharmacy on Brighton Road
- McCoigs’ Pharmacy on Wickham Road
- Valley Pharmacy at Chipstead Valley Road
Second dose appointments can also be booked this way and we are continuing to encourage people to have both their first and second doses of the Covid vaccine for maximum protection. The latest analysis by Public Health England shows that, after two doses, the Covid vaccines are over 90% effective against hospitalisation with the Delta variant-which is now dominant in the UK.
We are also running a number of pop up clinics, thank you for your support in helping us get the message out across the borough:
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- Centrale Shopping Centre walk in Oxford-AZ first and second dose appointments from 8am to 7.45pm all this week until Sunday 20 June 2021. Please share this tweet.
- Turning Point, Lantern Hall Pfizer walk in appointments between 12midday to 4pm on Thursday 17 June 2021. Please share this tweet.
- Radiate Festival in Crystal Palace Park at 12midday to 4pm on Saturday 19 June 2021. Please share this tweet.
- St Paul’s Church in Thornton Heath Pfizer walk-in sessions 1.30pm to 5pm on Friday 18 June 2021 Please share this tweet
We are continually looking for more sites and opportunities to add to our vaccination programme. For up to date information about the programme in Croydon, please go to www.swlondonccg.nhs.uk and click on ‘Croydon’.
There has never been a more important time for us to engage with our communities, by listening and addressing their questions and concerns. Our partners at the Croydon BME Forum, the Asian Resource Centre as well as at Croydon Council and across the NHS have played an essential role in the vaccine programme by facilitating conversations with local people and gathering their views the programme started back in December 2020.
Croydon Voluntary Action have also been essential in this work, in recruiting and coordinating local volunteers to support our GP led vaccination sites to ensure the smooth running of clinics.
Our borough’s local engagement has also been overseen by the Croydon Vaccination Equity Task and Finish Group, led by Nnenna Osuji and our thanks go to the group’s membership including Cllr Janet Campbell and Rachel Flowers and other borough colleagues.
Together we have achieved a lot, but we still have a long way to go to ensure as many local people as possible are vaccinated and protected. We very much value your continued efforts and support in helping us to build community confidence and in promoting uptake of the vaccine amongst our communities.
Best wishes,
Matthew Kershaw
Placed Based Leader for Health, Croydon
Dr Agnelo Fernandes
GP Borough Lead for Croydon
NHS South West London Clinical Commissioning Group
