Change in approach to Harrow Covid-19 vaccination programme

NHS representatives told a Harrow Council health and wellbeing board meeting yesterday (Tuesday, March 23) that operations at The Hive, in Camrose Avenue, Edgware, and Tithe Farm, in Rayners Lane, would cease on April 30.

The borough’s vaccination programme will then be predominantly based at Byron Hall, in Christchurch Avenue, Wealdstone, which was chosen as it is the “most central and accessible” site that can also offer the greatest capacity in terms of jabs administered.

Lisa Henschen, assistant managing director for primary and community care at NHS Harrow, explained this will be utilised as a “hybrid” vaccination site, delivering all second doses save for some ‘roving teams’ for housebound residents from May 1.

It will also be responsible for 80 per cent of first doses from this date, complemented by the roving teams (one per cent), GP-led satellite clinics (nine per cent) and pharmacy sites (ten per cent).

To support these changes, there will be three additional pharmacies engaged alongside the two current sites in Rayners Lane, which, along with the GP hubs, will be spread evenly across the borough.

Ms Henschen explained Harrow is expecting a dip in the number of vaccines available due to a wider national shortage but expects this to “pick up” as the year goes on.

She added the local NHS is “very proud” of the uptake so far, particularly among priority groups.

This was backed up by figures relayed by Dr Genevieve Small, chairman of Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group, which showed 90.2 per cent of care home residents, 87.5 per cent of over 80s, 93.5 per cent of over 75s, and 87.6 per cent of those deemed clinically vulnerable in the borough had received a jab.

However, she noted there will be an effort to improve statistics among social care workers and those with learning disabilities in Harrow, where 54.6 per cent and 65.6 per cent of these groups have received their first dose, respectively.