Posted: Thu 14th Jan 2021

Health Board call in extra military support and establishs ‘battle rhythm’ as it works towards 80,000 vaccines a week

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Thursday, Jan 14th, 2021

A range of stakeholders including the military, police, fire service, and councils area all working together to help the Health Service vaccinate the people of North Wales.

There are three Mass Vaccination Centres (MVC) in North Wales at the moment at the rainbow / field hospital sites in Deeside Bangor and Llandudno, and several future Local Vaccination Centres (LVC)

GP practices are also being used in the vaccination push.

The draft programme has been circulated to key stakeholders over the last 48 hours, and seen by Wrexham.com,  and includes a list of LVC’s (below) in North Wales.

The report also explains, “Following the decision to utilise GP practices and primary care contractors 96 GP Practices out of 98 have registered and expressed interest to deliver and administer the Covid-19 vaccine.  This will provide a more local delivery route particularly for the over 80’s and care homes, utilising the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.  General Practices are being brought into the delivery program on a week by week basis, and it is anticipated that uptake will accelerate once practices can order their supply direct. This is due to go live w/c 11th January.  The Health Board are also currently piloting on behalf of Wales a community pharmacy vaccination model.”

The report includes two tables, that detail proposed vaccine delivery schedules detail historic supply, through January, and up to and including the first week of February.

The tables are split, the first shows the Pfizer vaccine figures, which requires special freezers and is generally thought to be tricker to deal with:

The second details the proposals for the ‘Oxford’ AstraZeneca vaccine:

An overview of the vaccination plan notes that by Monday (18th) 30,000 vaccines a week should be being delivered, with the goal to vaccinate 100% of Care Residents, Care Home staff, those aged 80 years and above, health board frontline staff, Domiciliary and Social Care frontline staff and “Other care partner frontline staff”.

The Health Board say that the current infrastructure capacity would mean 80,000 vaccines a week would be possible however would be “reliant on the workforce plan delivering at pace”.

Further military support has been requested for immunisation and planning, over and above what is already in place helping with immunisers and planning /logistics support, with it clear front line healthcare worker are excluded as far as possible from vaccinating due to ongoing pressures in the health service.

The deployment of the LVC’s is detailed, “LVCs can be mobilised within 7 days when required, but will only be required when vaccines > 40,000 per week or where GP Clusters request a vaccination site. ” 

Large amounts of data is being monitored, with a Silver Cell group created to ‘support’ the operation, made up of senior health board staff, senior police and fire representatives, three local council Chief Executives one from East Centre and West parts of North Wales (Wrexham.com is unclear who is representing ‘East’). The aim of the cell is to ‘drive’ the process, and ‘unblock any potential obstacles’, and has  “recognised the need for battle rhythm” as the vaccination programme gets underway and grows. Some data could be made publish with a ‘front facing dashboard for our public and partners’ referenced.

Although not publishing the documents, local MS Lesley Griffiths commented via social media yesterday on the update, “Today I have received a further update from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board regarding the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine. It confirms Wrexham’s two Local Vaccination Centres will be located at Glyndwr University and at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre.

“More and more GP practices are registering to administer the vaccine. The Oxford vaccine is key as it can be transported much more easily, meaning GPs will be able to focus on their local communities and offer the jab to over 80s and care homes. From this week, practices have been able to order supplies of the Oxford vaccine direct which will help accelerate the process.
“As mentioned in a previous post, the Health Board is more confident in its supply of both the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines in the coming weeks, allowing it to plan more assertively. As of today, over 100,000 vaccines had been administered in Wales, with BCUHB having the highest cumulative total. From next week, the Health Board hope to administer 30,000 vaccines a week. Infrastructure and the workforce will continue to grow and develop in the days ahead, with the Health Board ultimately working towards a target of 80,000 vaccinations per week.
“Subject to supplies, the North Wales Health Board is aiming to offer the vaccine to all care home staff and residents, all frontline health and social care staff and everyone aged 80 and over by the end of this month.”
“The vaccine rollout is a mammoth task and I am very grateful to Betsi Cadwaladr for this latest update. I am sure this news will be welcomed and I hope it reassures constituents at this uncertain time. With the situation evolving constantly, I will continue to keep in close contact with the Health Board and ensure constituents are kept up-to-date with the latest information.”

The Health Board also publicly published a list of Local Vaccination Centres across North Wales – again with the clear reminder Please do not contact your GP directly or attend a vaccination centre unless you have been contacted and given an appointment.  

The Local Vaccination Centres (listed below) will begin vaccinating later in the delivery phase. The initial priority is to provide vaccinations in partnership with primary care providers, on main acute hospital sites and via Mass Vaccination Centres.

Wrexham & Flintshire

  • Catrin Finch Centre, Glyndwr University, Mold Road, Wrrexham, LL11 2AW (Wrexham County Borough Council)
  •  Theatre Clwyd, Raikes Lane, Mold, CH71YA
  • Plas Madoc Leisure Centre, Llangollen Road, Acrefair, Wrexham, LL14 3HL  (Wrexham County Borough Council)

Anglesey and Gwynedd

  • Plas Arthur Leisure Centre, Penrallt, Llangefni, LL77 7QX.
  • Bala Leisure Centre, Pensarn Road, Bala, LL237YE (Gwynedd County Council)
  • Bro Dysynni Leisure Centre, High Street, Tywyn, LL36 3AD (Gwynedd County Council)
  • Dolgellau Leisure Centre, Glan Wnion Arran Road, Dolgellau, LL40 1LH (Gwynedd County Council)
  • Blaenau Ffestiniog Community Centre,  Wynne Road, Blaenau Ffestiniog, LL41 3UF (Gwynedd County Council)
  • Porthmadog Leisure Centre, Church Street, Porthmadog, LL49 9HW (Gwynedd County Council)
  • Pwllheli Leisure Centre, Recreation Road, Pwllheli, LL53 5PF (Gwynedd County Council)
  • Nefyn Y Ganolfan, Dewi Sant Road, Nefyn, Pwllheli (Nefyn Community)
  • Caernarfon Tennis Centre, Bethel Road, Caernarfon, LL55 1DU (Gwynedd County Council)

Conwy and Denbighshire

  • Denbigh Community Centre, Eirianfa Factory Place, Denbigh, LL16 3TS (Denbighshire County Council)
  • Llanrwst,  Glasdir Centre, Plas Yn Dre Station Road, Llanrwst, LL26 0DF (Conwy County Council)
  • Royal Alexandria Hospital Out Patients Department
  • Kinmel Bay Community Resource Centre, The Square, Off Foryd Road, Kinmel Bay, Conwy, LL18 5BT
  • Kings Hall, Kings Avenue, Prestatyn, LL19 9AA.



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