Covid vaccinations started in Runnymede on Wednesday, with 364 people being vaccinated at Chertsey Hall on the first day.
Chertsey Hall is usually used for community events, such as dance groups and lunch clubs, but on Wednesday it became one of four NHS Coronavirus vaccination centres being run by family doctors in Surrey.
Runnymede Council Leader Nick Prescott and Conservative MP Dr Ben Spencer visited the site for vaccination service’s launch.
Prescott said: “Chertsey Hall is a community hub, so we’re pleased to make what’s a very familiar location to many people available to the NHS for residents from the borough and beyond to receive their vaccine.
“Thanks to the vaccination programme taking place in there now, community groups will sooner or later be up and running again.”
Priority for the Covid vaccinations is being given to those aged 80 and older, care home workers and residents.
Nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and other NHS staff are working alongside GPs to administer the vaccines.
The first Runnymede resident to receive a Covid vaccine was Edward Cruikshank who said he was very happy to have been vaccinated.
Dr Pramit Patel, GP and Clinical Director for Primary Care Networks in Surrey Heartlands, said he was immensely proud of the services being launched to vaccinate people in safe and convenient settings.
He added: “Healthcare professionals and our colleagues in the councils and community have been working flat out to prepare for this.
“I’m immensely proud of this real team effort and it shows just what we can achieve when we all pull together.”
The other three Surrey centres are Epsom Race Course, The Westway in Caterham and St Christopher’s Church in Haslemere.
Some practices and larger vaccination centres in other parts of Surrey will be joining the effort on a phased basis during the coming months.
Chertsey Hall is not a walk-in centre and residents are urged to be patient and wait until they are contacted by the NHS to visit any vaccination services.
Featured image credit: Surrey Heartlands CCG
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The same for my parents as well and my father has COPD
My parents are under the Runnymede Borough, Dad will be 92 on 13th January and my mum is 82. They have had NO communication reference the COVID vaccination. Can someone please advise