Helping Covid vaccination clinics run smoothly at Leeds GP surgeries

Around ten staff working for Linking Leeds have been answering calls from busy surgeries to help organise and administer vaccine clinics at short notice.

And Linking Leeds has offered to help GP surgeries by calling patients aged over 60 to find out if they need support during the pandemic

Linking Leeds, which is based at the Reginald Centre in Chapeltown, has helped more than 4,000 people since it was set up in September 2019.

The social prescribing service connects people with a range of local community services to improve their social, emotional and mental wellbeing.

a team of 40 wellbeing coordinators with extensive knowledge of their local areas work at GP surgeries across Leeds.

Anna Quinn-Martin is service manager for Linking Leeds, a not-for-profit service, funded by Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

She said: "Linking Leeds staff are volunteering during work time at vaccination clinics across Leeds.

"The surgeries are so busy with everything that they have to do with the vaccine programme on top of their normal work. We are just chipping in to help where we can."

"And we have been making some calls to people who are seen as vulnerable who haven't come for help."

"We work directly with our surgery teams where they need us to and make these calls on their behalf - saving these extremely busy GP surgeries and their staff time and resources.

"It also means that we can offer our unique support to clients who may otherwise not realise that support is there."

Linking Leeds gives people struggling with a wide range of problems the “confidence to live their lives

Problems can be far ranging. Some people have complex needs; some people are lonely and simply need connecting with groups in their communities, such as joining a gardening or singing group.

People can be referred via their GP, by other services and or by themselves, but must be over 16 and are registered with a Leeds GP.

Call 0113 336 7612 or visit www.commlinks.co.uk/?service=linking-leeds for more information on Linking Leeds.