Yorkshire's first NHS Vaccination Centre opens at Askham Bar park-and-ride near York as pandemic efforts intensify

It reopened today as one of the first NHS Vaccination Centres, offering vaccinations against coronavirus to people from across the region up to a 45-minute drive away in addition to five pre-existing Vale of York Local Vaccination Services.

The facility is one of 10 mass vaccination centres opened across England today (Monday), taking the total in the country to 17.

Since December 2020 residents in York have been invited by their GP practice to have their vaccination at the Askham Bar site.

York residents will continue to receive their vaccinations in line with the Government’s priority groups.

Prof Mike Holmes, York GP and chairman of local GP collaboration Nimbuscare, is the clinical lead centre.

He said: “This is excellent news for York. Establishing York as one of the main NHS Vaccination Centres will speed up the delivery of vaccines to those most at risk.

"It will create more jobs and put us at the centre of one of the largest and most important vaccination programmes in the history of the NHS.

“Now that more doses of Covid-19 are available, the NHS has been able to open more vaccination services and we are proud to be chosen to be the first Vaccination Centres in Yorkshire.

“Healthcare workers from across the City – GPs, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and others – have worked tirelessly to get this service up and running.

"We have already vaccinated a significant number of local patients and staff and we are ready to welcome more people to come for their jab so they can protect their family and friends from this dreadful virus.”

Dr Nigel Wells, NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group clinical chairman, said: “This is another great milestone in our joint efforts to roll out the vaccine across the Vale of York.

“Although this is great news and a cause for optimism there is still a long way to go. We can’t afford to be complacent; this is a going to be a huge task and we would like to urge local people to bear with us and to be patient. When it is the right time for you to receive your vaccination, you will receive an invitation to come forward.

“I would also ask people not to delay seeking help if they have a health concern. The NHS is there for you if you need it, and GP surgeries and hospitals are safe to attend if you are asked to. It’s essential to follow all the advice, this means wearing a mask when required, washing your hands frequently and maintaining social distancing.”

Both services will be managed by a collaboration of local GPs called Nimbuscare which has already been running the Local Vaccination Service from the site since before Christmas, on behalf of 11 York GP Practices. The site is also used as a flu vaccination site which Nimbuscare opened in October.

It is not a drive-through site.

Those attending for a jab will be asked to park before being directed to go inside one of the new Vaccination Centre buildings.

People should wait to be invited to the centre for a vaccination/

They will be invited as per the priority groups, determined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

For more details of what to expect when you arrive at the York Vaccination Centre click here.