Petworth Surgery to offer Covid-19 vaccine

Chichester district patients will now be vaccinated at one of five GP surgeries – the Selsey Centre, Tangmere Village Centre, Pulborough Medical Group, Riverbank Medical Centre and Petworth Surgery.

In a post on social media, a spokesperson for Petworth Surgery said: "We are delighted to share with you all that we have secured agreements so that we will be able to offer the COVID-19 vaccine at our surgery.

"We take our responsibility to ensure you receive this vital protection extremely seriously and we are very pleased we can take this positive step forward.

"We expect that subject to deliveries of the vaccine we will be able to start vaccinating our patients in the next two weeks."

Once delivery dates are confirmed, the surgery will 'plan our clinics' and 'start to contact our patients in the first priority group' – those who are over 80.

"We appreciate all of the support that there has been for the surgery and our team from our patients as we have sought to make these arrangements for our patients," the spokesperson continued.

"We would also like to thank our partners at the CCG and in the community, including Andrew Griffiths MP, for their support and we look forward to continuing to work with you all as we roll out this vaccination programme. We would also like to extend a special thanks to our practice manager, Hafiza Bhabha, who has worked tirelessly on this for months.

"As we work to plan for vaccination clinics, we kindly ask that you do not call the surgery to enquire about vaccination appointments. We will call you as soon as an appointment is available."

MP pleased to have found vaccine solution at 'rural black hole'

Andrew Griffith, MP for Arundel and South Downs, responded positively to the news, having 'worked intensely' with Petworth Surgery, Sussex Community NHS Trust, NHS England and ministers

A post on his Twitter page read: "All residents are understandably concerned about the vaccination in their own area but I am pleased we have found a solution for Petworth Surgery which was previously a rural 'black hole' in West Sussex."