Covid-19 vaccinations start in Hastings

The Conquest Hospital, on The Ridge, went live as a hospital hub last week.

A new GP-led vaccination service also goes live later this week at The Hastings Centre opposite the Conquest, according to Hastings and Rye MP, Sally-Ann Hart, who revealed the news in a letter to residents, which she shared on Twitter.

Currently the nearest site for residents in Hastings and Rother is Sidley Medical Practice in Bexhill.

Frontline health and care staff at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT), local care home workers, and staff from other local NHS organisations have started to receive their first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at both Conquest and Eastbourne hospitals.

Vaccine delivery started at the Conquest at the end of last month, with the first vaccines at Eastbourne DGH offered yesterday, ESHT said.

The trust said members of staff have been specially trained to deliver the vaccine, which needs to be carefully stored at -70C and can only be moved a certain number of times ahead of use.

In the first few days of delivery at Conquest Hospital, nearly 1,700 vaccinations were given to frontline health and care staff.

This number will increase as Eastbourne DGH Vaccination Hub gets up and running, the trust said.

Dee Daly, clinical lead for vaccination who has worked for the trust for 24 year, said: “I was so relieved to receive the vaccination. It was so emotional to watch other frontline colleagues and friends, who’ve been working so hard over the last year, getting their first vaccine too. It’s a great start to the New Year.”

Vikki Carruth, chief nurse at ESHT said: “I am absolutely delighted that we are now delivering the Pfizer vaccine at both our acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne.

“Members of our team at ESHT, and other health and care staff locally, have shown such care, dedication and determination over the last year. This will be a big morale boost for those who are facing such challenges at work at the moment.

“The vaccination programme in East Sussex will be a turning point. However it is just beginning and whilst it will expand over the coming months, it’s incredibly important that everyone sticks to the new lockdown guidance and stays at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.”

The vaccination hubs at Conquest and Eastbourne DGH are part of a Sussex-wide approach to vaccination, and they complement the community vaccination centres already available for members of the public locally, ESHT said.

Members of the public will be contacted directly by their GP surgery when it is their turn to receive the vaccine.

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