Scott Road Medical Centre in Selby North Yorkshire has vaccinated over 1200 patients aged 65+ since the start of September in a bid to protect the most vulnerable in Selby.

This counts for 75.2% of patients in this category, which passes the 75% national uptake target set by Public Health England.

To help achieve this, a flu clinic was held in Selby Community Centre next door to the medical centre on Saturday 5^th September which saw a significant number of the 65+ community vaccinated to protect them from the effects of flu. All staff at the practice pulled together to organise the clinic, which comprised 5 nurse led stations administering the flu vaccine in 30 minute time slots.

Nurses have also been out to visit and vaccinate all of their patients in local residential care homes, as this cohort of patients are very often vulnerable with multiple and complex health conditions.

The importance of the flu vaccine this year is paramount, with COVID-19 in circulation, GP practices such as Scott Road Medical Centre are doing all they can to ensure their eligible patients are choosing to have their flu vaccine.

Dr Ruth Walker, GP at Scott Road Medical Centre said: “We chose to use Selby Community Centre this year to ensure we had greater capacity for administering vaccines and the larger space for social distancing measures. Keeping patients and staff safe is a top priority for us, and knowing we have already vaccinated such a large number of our more elderly and vulnerable population is a tribute to our primary care team.”

Reception and admin staff marshalled the flu clinic to direct patients on where to park, queue and ensured they felt comfortable and safe throughout the unfamiliar process. 

Mark Warren a patient at Scott Road Medical Centre wrote to a local paper to express his praise for the event, he said: “I joined the queue at 3pm, there were about four folks ahead, all of who moved on within a minute or so….to be greeted by a waiting, masked and gowned nurse with a request of a birth and name….within seconds, my jab was done and I was directed to the separate exit. It was not quite five past three….I have always been more than impressed with the service at Scott Road Surgery.”

Scott Road Medical Centre is now in the process of contacting and vaccinating their own housebound patients, a change this year to help support the district nurses.

Dr Walker added: “We’re lucky to have enough staff that we are able to lend a hand to our district nurses who have many more patients to vaccinate at home this year across North Yorkshire. The team at Scott Road Medical Centre are all pulling together to do our extra bit where we can.

“We are continuing to vaccinate eligible patients ensuring those most at risk are vaccinated first. 50-64 year olds will be contacted via letter in November and December in line with national expectations.”

Scott Road Medical Centre is a practice within the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and works together with three other local practices to support the Selby Town Primary Care Network (PCN). More information here.

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