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 to the availability of the vaccine?

Daily I am receiving reports of people having received their first vaccination or an appointment time. Is the NHS in this region content to be seen as unprepared and apparently less concerned about the population in the Chichester area?

‘City vaccine site must be possible’ – letter by Dr Linda Shaw OBE and Dr Jeremy Shaw, North Street, Chichester

We read with concern your article about the failure of providing Covid-19 mass vaccination in Chichester.

The intention to expect patients in the early priority categories to travel to Selsey appears to be unwarranted.

We have heard from friends and colleagues elsewhere in England about the efficient way the vaccinations have been provided. Sadly, it is evident that Chichester is far behind in contributing to the national vaccination target for this country.

It is made clear in the Royal College of General Practitioners guidance document entitled ‘Delivering Mass Vaccinations – Covid-19’ that general practices in England have delivered influenza vaccines to well in excess of 10million people each season. Our own practice delivered this vaccine extremely efficiently in the autumn of 2020, predominantly by setting clear appointment times and well-defined entrances and exits.

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 vaccinations are likely to require multiple vaccination stations – there must be sites within the city that enable this service provision.

The large gymnasia in the schools, colleges and university, closed at present, must be possibilities, even a tent in the theatre car park would permit walk-through and multiple stations to be provided as outlined in the RCGP guidance document.

After all there has been a tent purporting to be a centre for test, track and trace services in this car park for some months which seems to be significantly under-utilised.

Planning for the rollout of this vaccination programme has been undertaken successfully in many areas of the United Kingdom, why not in Chichester? Perhaps a bit of thinking inside the tent would be helpful.

‘Vaccine site issue highlights need for exhibition centre’ – letter by Richard Hancock, Deanery Close, Chichester

In January, 2020, I wrote to the Observer expressing my concern about the plans for more housing for the Southern Gateway site. I stated that there was a real need for an exhibition centre/adaptable performance space in Chichester and the area around the station (which should be modernised) would be ideal.

I now hear that the residents of Chichester will have to travel to Selsey for vaccinations because there is no appropriate facility in Chichester to carry out the procedure. Surely this adds further strength to the argument that there should be more creative thinking about the Southern Gateway project in order to put in place a facility the city desperately needs?

‘Multitude of possible venues’ – letter by Christopher Hoare, Rendell Gardens, Chichester

It’s surely absurd to make Chichester folk travel to Selsey or Tangmere for the coronavirus vaccination.

The early priorities are elderly folk, many of whom will not have cars or can no longer drive. The logistics of catching a bus in the rain, and to avoid waiting for their appointment time, beggar belief. What’s wrong with the theatre or the leisure centre? Or any of a multitude of community halls within walking distances? Patients are clearly not regarded as customers.

‘Is theatre free for vaccines?’ – letter by John Hellings, The Old Bakery, Prinsted

The Chichester Alliance of Medical Practices (ChAMP) covers an area from Southbourne to Selsey and Tangmere and is apparently responsible for implementing the Covid-19 vaccination programme in our area.

It has just announced the first clinic will open during the week commencing January 11, located at the Selsey Centre.

It admits it’s not ideal for all patients and ‘hope to provide a second more central one within the next few weeks’. Bearing in mind that the need for mass vaccination at some point has been foreseen for months, this hardly suggests an air of urgency, more one of languor perhaps.

I wonder whether the Festival Theatre with its central location and ample parking space for a quick throughput has been considered? Presumably it is being hardly used, if at all, during the pandemic so how appropriate were it to play a small part in its ultimate defeat.