Rowcroft Medical Centre and Beeches Green Health Centre in Stroud has been named as two of Gloucestershire's community Covid-19 vaccination centres.

GP practice teams, with the support of local partners including volunteers, will start vaccination of priority groups (over 80s) at the sites in the coming days, pending vaccine deliveries.

Starting with people over 80, roll out of the vaccination programme will be expanded in the coming weeks and months to include other priority groups by age and people who are particularly vulnerable.

People are being asked to wait for their GP surgery to contact them about local arrangements and timings.

Dr Andy Seymour, Clinical Chair at NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “It’s been an incredible effort to have reached this point with such a short lead in time. "GP practices and local partners have pulled out all the stops and deserve massive credit for getting these sites ready for go live.”

Professor Steve Hams, director of quality and chief nurse at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who is leading the overall vaccination programme delivery in Gloucestershire said: “This has been a truly remarkable ‘One Gloucestershire’ effort and we are thrilled that the community vaccination programme is now being extended to other sites.

"Everyone concerned should be rightly proud of what they have achieved and continue to achieve.

"Not only will the vaccine save lives and reduce the pressure on NHS services, it also marks the start of our journey back to living our lives as we would wish.”

Sarah Scott, Gloucestershire’s Director of Public Health added: “The roll out of the vaccine to the wider community is a significant step forwards but does not mean we can let our guards down.

"We must continue to follow the rules and not allow case numbers to climb.

"Colleagues across health and social care have been, and continue to be, central to beating Covid-19 and I want to thank them all for their monumental efforts this year.”

If people are housebound and unable to travel to a centre for medical reasons, they will be contacted by a local healthcare worker.

More information on vaccine safety and priority groups is available at www.nhs.uk

If people need advice on receiving information in other formats, please email: glccg.participation@nhs.net or call 0800 0151 548.