Dr Nigel Watson MBE, a former New Forest GP and clinical lead for the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Hampshire, is one of a legion of previously-retired health workers supporting the largest vaccination programme in NHS history.
And having presided over around 250,000 jabs administered in the county to date, Dr Watson spoke to the Herald amid controversy over the A31 Primary Care Network’s (PCN) decision to direct patients to The Hampshire Court Hotel in Basingstoke for their jabs.
Dr Watson said: “Individual practices were never going to be allowed to launch vaccine clinics individually, because they wouldn’t be able to deliver the volumes that were needed. So it was decided to organise community clinics on primary care network (PCN) groupings, each with populations of around 100,000 patients.
“But in some of the areas, such as Alton and Basingstoke, PCNs decided to come together because they felt if they had one large site, they could be more efficient, and deliver more vaccines.
“The government’s commitment is for everyone to have a vaccine centre within ten miles, and NHS England’s plan was always to look at opening more sites after the initial roll-out. But it’s worth remembering we also need the workforce to be able to deliver it.
“At the moment, we’ve got GPs, nurses and practice staff doing extra shifts to deliver the clinics. And if we open up more capacity, or if we put more sites on, we need more workforce. It’s a balancing act.
“We know questions have been raised in Alton and these aren’t being ignored – they are being looked at to see how we can meet those needs. But we must have the workforce.”
The increasing availability of the easier-to-store and administer Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine does offer a glimmer of light, though.
Dr Watson added: “There are some freedoms coming, which might mean in particular circumstances, we can look again at how we can deliver it to those communities that have had more challenges.”
This has already come to bear in Alton where, as reported in last week’s Herald, the town’s more vulnerable residents unable to travel are now being invited for to receive an Oxford jab at a local surgery.
And there are reports too that people in Alton have also been given the option to travel to a new community vaccine clinic opened at Church Crookham Village Hall as an alternative to Basingstoke.
Reflecting on the vaccine roll-out more generally, Dr Watson said: “I’ve been a GP for 30-odd years, but this is like nothing I’ve ever seen in my career.
“It’s the largest vaccination programme in history, but the whole thing was set up in about ten days, which was a monumental task.
“The first vaccines in Hampshire were administered in early December at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth.
“But we rapidly spread it out to general practice, and to get practices working together in such a short period of time was really fantastic.
“It seems like we’ve been going for months already, but we’ve only really been going a little over six weeks in general practice.”
And despite the odd grumble, Dr Watson added feedback from patients has been almost universally positive, with doctors overwhelmed by the number of people who – like himself – have volunteered to support the vaccine programme.
“The response from the public and recently-retired GPs has been phenomenal,” he said.
“I’ve personally done three clinics now and a couple of care homes and the feedback from patients has been really grateful, really positive.
“People want to help, want to be involved, and actually those who have done it have enjoyed it because clearly it’s a worthwhile thing.
“It has been a combined effort, locally, regionally and nationally.
“Our one single aim is to save lives, protect the community, and get as many jabs into as many arms as quickly as possible.
“It has been a major effort by a significant number of people, and despite all the challenges, I think people are proud of the way the NHS has swung into gear.”
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