Cornwall Partners in Care News

COVID-19 vaccination programme for all care and nursing home staff - book your appointment now

As you will know, the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has now been approved by regulators and will be used to provide vaccinations to health and social care staff working across our area.

Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust will be opening the first vaccination clinics on Wednesday 9 December at 8am.  10 minute appointment slots will be available from 8am-8pm.

It is important to get as many people vaccinated as possible and we are pleased to announce that all care and nursing home staff are our initial priority.

We are now inviting your staff  to book your appointment through an online booking form that will be emailed direct to eligible providers.

It is important to get as many people vaccinated as possible and we are pleased to announce that all care home staff are our initial priority. Having a vaccination will help care home workers to protect themselves, their loved ones, the community and the people for whom they provide care.

The vaccination is taken in 2 doses. When booking a first vaccination appointment, the second must also be booked for approximately 21 days later.  

All health and care staff will be invited for a vaccination over time. At present, the number of vaccinations we can provide per day is limited, so please be aware that other colleagues may not have had an invitation yet.  We expect to be able to offer more appointments in the coming weeks.

Information for individuals

• You will need to make an appointment through our online booking system via the link.  Please note: this link is unique to all care and nursing home staff and should not be shared with anyone else.
• The Vaccination Centre will be aware of who has been invited to book an appointment and will turn away people if they have not been sent this invitation directly.
• Care and nursing home staff vaccinations will be held on the ground floor of the Tower Block at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust site. We will update you on further future locations.

Attending a vaccination appointment and what to expect

• You MUST bring your ID badge or proof of employment such as a payslip with you as this is evidence that you work in the health and care system within Cornwall.
• Please also bring your NHS number, if you have this available as this will assist with recording who has had vaccinations.
• You must arrive on time and no more than five minutes earlier than your appointment.  We recognise that people may have to travel some distance for the appointment and where attendance is delayed due to traffic problems, we will do our very best to administer the vaccine.  We will do our best to do this as soon as possible, however please be aware that you may have to wait a little while.
• You must arrive on time and no more than five minutes earlier than your appointment
• During your appointment you will be clinically assessed to ensure that you are fit and well enough to be vaccinated. 
• You will be asked to stay for a 15 minute observation after the vaccination if you are planning to drive immediately afterwards.  This does not apply if you are using public transport or walking.  This is simply a precautionary / safety measure. 
• It is possible that you may have some mild side effects from the vaccine and more information about possible side effects will be shared with you during your appointment.
• Please wear a face mask and maintain social distancing during your appointment.
• Wear loose fitting clothing which will provide easy access to the upper arm.

Please also note:

• If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next three months you should not be vaccinated.
• The vaccine does not contain any egg or porcine gelatine.
• It is not a live vaccine

Thank you for acknowledging this information and supporting us in delivering an effective vaccination programme for everyone in our area.

To arrange a block booking for your home, please contact Simon Long at simonjlong@nhs.net

Where can I find out more information about the vaccine?

A Frequently Asked Questions document will follow shortly.  The following provides useful, further information

• Information for UK recipients on Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
• Priority groups for coronavirus vaccination with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
• Information for UK healthcare professionals on Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

For further information or questions that is not available in the  links provided please contact katemitchell8@nhs.net 07825 521384.