Latest on Vaccinations in East Sussex – 25th January East Sussex NHS

Largest vaccination centre for Sussex to open on Monday 25 January – East Sussex NHS

A new vaccination centre will open at the Brighton Centre from Monday 25 January to provide additional capacity and options for  people across Sussex to receive their vaccine.

People in the top four priority groups currently eligible to be vaccinated will be invited to get their vaccine at The Brighton Centre. They will book their appointment through a national booking system and will receive their vaccine by teams from Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, who are running the service.

The centre gives those who are eligible another option to receive their vaccine, in addition to their local GP-led vaccination service. While the centre is based in Brighton and Hove, it is available for the wider population across Sussex and beyond.

As more supplies of vaccine become available, large-scale vaccination centres are starting to open across the country, capable of quickly vaccinating large numbers of people.

Vaccination centres are not only much larger than GP-led local vaccination services, the way appointments are booked is also different. While GPs invite their patients to get vaccinated at their local vaccination service, appointments at the vaccination centres are made through the national booking service.

Appointments cannot be booked directly with the Brighton Centre, or through GPs, and residents are asked not to contact the centre or Brighton and Hove City Council directly.

The national NHS booking service will be writing to eligible people living within 60 miles of the Brighton Centre providing them all the details they need to book an appointment online or over the phone. At present the NHS is ensuring that the over 80s are vaccinated before extending invitations to the next priority age groups.

Anyone receiving a letter from the national booking service can choose whether to book an appointment at the vaccination centre, or wait until they are contacted by their GP for an appointment at their local vaccination service if that would be more convenient.

The centre will also be vaccinating eligible health and care workers. Health and care worker appointments are being organised for the first day of operation while processes are tested, with the public being invited to book from Tuesday.

The launch of the vaccination centre is the latest step in the ongoing phased roll-out of the Sussex vaccination programme. The NHS is Sussex is working to have vaccinated all over 80s and frontline health and care workers by mid-February and expects to have vaccinated in all care homes for older people by Sunday 24 January.

> For more information on vaccination centres, please see the FAQ and video below.

Three more local services go live this weekend

Further to the launch of the local vaccination service in Etchingham for people in rural Rother this weekend, clinics at each of the three GP practices in Hailsham start vaccinating this weekend. The teams at each of the GP practices will be vaccinating at their local care homes and providing the vaccine to their patients aged 80 and over. The go live of these services means that all GP practices in East Sussex have active GP led vaccination services.

> More detail about the vaccination services in East Sussex

How does it differ from a GP-led local vaccination service?

Vaccination centres are larger facilities with many more vaccinations taking place at once. They are located with good transport links and serve a much wider population. However, just like GP-led services, the vaccination centres are still focused on the same priority cohorts. At present that remains is the over 80s, with the over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable to follow shortly.

Vaccination centres also differ from GP-led services in how appointments are arranged. While GPs invite their patients to get vaccinated at their local vaccination service, appointments at the vaccination centres are made through the national booking service.

How do I get an appointment at a vaccination centre?

The national NHS booking service will be writing to eligible people, living within 60 miles of a vaccination centre, inviting them to book an appointment at the centre online or over the phone. The letter contains all the details people will need to book their appointment.

What if I’d prefer to get my jab at my local GP-led vaccination service?

Anyone receiving a letter from the national booking service can choose whether to book an appointment at the vaccination centre, or wait until they are contacted by their GP for an appointment at their local vaccination service if that would be more convenient.

Who do I contact if I have any problems with my appointment?

Appointments for the Brighton Centre Vaccination Centre are organised by the NHS national booking service. They can be contacted free of charge on 119.

Where can I park for my appointment at the Brighton Centre?

People who attend a vaccination appointment at the centre can park for free in Churchill Square’s Orange Car Park for one hour. They must show proof of their appointment to the car park wardens in the car park as they enter.