Residents across West Sussex can now receive their COVID-19
immunisations at a new vaccination centre in Crawley.
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) has today (1
February) opened the appointment only facility at Crawley Hospital in West
Green Drive.
The service is by appointment only with vaccinations
delivered by teams from SCFT.
Residents who are eligible for vaccinations and who live
within a 60 mile radius of Crawley Hospital are being written to directly by
the NHS and invited to book an appointment.
This vaccination centre follows the opening of the Brighton
Centre last week and is in addition to the local GP-led vaccination services
that now cover all patients in Sussex, and select pharmacy-led services that
are also available through the national booking system.
Siobhan Melia, Chief Executive of Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“I’m delighted we are able to open Crawley Hospital as a vaccination centre today for residents across West Sussex and want to pay tribute to all teams from SCFT who have been involved in making this happen.
“The opening of Crawley Hospital today follows the successful launch of the vaccination centre at the Brighton Centre last week, and is all part of making the COVID-19 vaccination as accessible as possible to the communities we serve.”
Vaccination centres are another part of the COVID-19 vaccination
programme, working alongside GP-led vaccination services, specific pharmacies
and hospital hubs.
While GPs invite their patients to get vaccinated at their
local vaccination service, appointments at the vaccination centres are made
through the national booking service.
The national booking service writes to eligible people,
living within 60 miles of a vaccination centre, inviting them to book an appointment
at the centre online or over the phone. The letter contains all the details
people will need to book their appointment.
Anyone receiving a letter from the national booking
service can choose whether to book an appointment at the vaccination centre, or
wait until they are contacted by their GP for an appointment at their local
vaccination service if that would be more convenient.
There are more than 1,000 GP services and more than 250 hospital sites now
offering vaccinations in England.
Donna Lamb, Chief Nurse at SCFT, said:
“We are so proud to be able to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme across Sussex.
“Our trained vaccinators, supported by amazing volunteers, are on hand to help patients who attend our centres and we look forward to vaccinating many more people in the coming weeks which will make a huge difference to the communities we serve.
“I would encourage anyone who is invited for a vaccination to take up the offer.”