Chichester residents call for city-centre Covid-19 vaccine site

It comes after it was revealed the vaccine would be delivered in the Chichester district at four GP-led sites – none of which to be located in the city itself.

Click here for the full story, including a detailed statement from the NHS to explain its stance.

While the Observer regularly prints a selection of individual reader letters online, we have decided to print these in bulk – in two parts – to demonstrate the strength of feeling of many of our readers.

All letters which appear below are printed in this week’s Observer, out tomorrow (Thursday, January 14) alongside others, which will be published online in a second part of this letters special in due course.

The Observer is also leading a call for community pharmacies to play a leading role in the rollout of the Covid vaccine. See here for more details.

What do you think? Write to us at [email protected]

‘Time to get this issue sorted’ – letter by D.J. Gaylard, Peacock Close, Chichester

It has not gone unnoticed that neighbouring residents (Hampshire, East Sussex, Surrey) commenced with their Covid-19 community vaccination programmes over three weeks ago. Meanwhile, Chichester residents receive warm, patronising platitudes from our MP, that ‘our NHS teams are doing their best’. Is this for real?

Meanwhile, our alliance of eight GP practices (ChAMP) currently appears unable to agree or identify a suitable city venue. Chichester Festival Theatre and Westgate Sports Centre may both be suitable and accessible venues – both receive annual funding subsidies.

This situation is made worse by the fact community pharmacists were excluded from the delivery of such a vital programme (despite having years of experience dispensing the annual flu vaccination).

Unfortunately, this pandemic continues to highlight deep divisions of our health and social care inequalities, revealing just how poor community health services have become. Please get this sorted.

‘We need a vaccine site in central Chichester’ – letter by Patricia Sloane, North Pallant, Chichester

I am very concerned to read about the absence of a vaccination site in central Chichester.

Whilst pleased to see that residents in the rural area of Pulborough and Midhurst are able to receive their vaccines, the most populated part of the region is not yet able to receive theirs until January 15 at Tangmere and the 16th at Selsey.

According to my surgery, the clinics will last for three to four days in which they expect to vaccinate approximately 1,000 people at each site. They then aim to provide regular clinics at both sites, over the forthcoming weeks, subject to vaccine availability.

How can this plan hope to address the needs of all the elderly and vulnerable patients in this area who have been assured by the Government that they will be receiving their first vaccination by mid-February?

In Chichester there are many educational establishments with all the necessary facilities and whilst there are no students until half-term at the earliest, surely these premises could be used as additional vaccination sites?

This is an emergency situation. In the absence of additional facilities, will the eight ChAMP GP practices (Cathedral Medical Group, Langley House, Lavant Road, Parklands, Selsey, Southbourne, Tangmere and Witterings) guarantee that their vulnerable patients will all receive their vaccination in line with the Government’s goal, subject t