Information about vaccination sites in Manchester. January 2021
Dear All
CGN is receiving telephone calls from all sorts of people seeking clarification about vaccine sites. I know some of our older residents have either been invited to the Etihad, whereas others have been contacted to go elsewhere through the GP.
In order to support your conversations with our older clients and have some clarity for ourselves, I have spoken with Andy Brennan, the neighbourhood integrated Team Lead, Aneet Kapoor a local pharmacist with an outlet near our office, and also received useful feedback from one of our volunteers who has been out to the Etihad.
Here are the main points which I hope you will find useful.
Overall Picture As it stands now, the over 80s in the first cohort have a choice of 3 options for their vaccination although the availability of those choices is coming on stream at different times.
- the large national sites ie the Etihad
- The pharmacy-led sites such as Aneet Kapoor’s at the Whalley Range Tennis club
- GP led hubs. The seven practices in our neighbourhood (Chorton FP, Ashville, Corkland Road, Wilbraham, Alexandra, the Range, Princess Road) are using the Jain Centre in Longsight. Practices in Chorlton Park, Didsbury, Burnage, Old Moat and Withington are using the Chancellors Hotel site in Fallowfield
The first two options are bookable via a website and phone number (which Aneet refers to below) which were included in letters sent nationally to eligible cohorts and which I know many have already received. I think people’s experience of booking this way is that Etihad appointments were available immediately, but pharmacy-led site availability was variable and Aneet’s site was not available earlier this week but seems to be now. A lot is dependent on vaccine availability and delivery
Patients wishing to access the GP hubs at the Jain or Chancellors will be contacted directly by their practice when vaccine deliveries are confirmed, and appointments are released.
Some will have already been contacted as these sites are about to go live and may already be at the time of writing. People should not worry if they have not been contacted by their GP practice yet, they will be in due course.
Unfortunately, at the moment, residents don’t have a choice between the Jain Centre or Chancellors – this is dependent on which practice you are registered at as per above
Local Vaccine site at Whalley Range Cricket and Tennis Club with KPS Pharmacy (Mr Aneet Kapoor)
This site
- Is an official NHS vaccination service
- For 80+ and care workers initially
- Starting from 18/1/21
- Invites being sent out for this service for anyone within a 45-minute drive from Whalley Range
- For anyone who has an appointment for a vaccine at larger more distant venues – eg Etihad stadium, Longsight or Levenshulme – they can cancel that appointment and rebook for the Whalley Range venue. To do this:
Ring 119 (the national booking service) to cancel the original appointment and book for the Whalley Range venue or you can do this via the website
- Housebound people need to contact their GP surgery so that they can trigger the house visiting vaccine service (being delivered by all disciplines that have been on vaccination training)
- Any issues with the above ring Manley Pharmacy on 881-1985 or Wilbraham Pharmacy on 881 2022
Volunteer Hamish’s feedback on a trip which turned out to be a “dry run” – here is what we learned:
1.When booking online, make sure the booking confirmation button is pressed. On screens smaller than a computer’s – like mobile phones, tablets, etc the confirmation button may be at the bottom of the page – scroll down to use it. (If you don’t confirm, the vaccination team won’t know you’re arriving, and you’ll be turned away.)
2 Arrive on time. (If you are more than 5 minutes early, there is no waiting area, so you’ll be sent outside back into the cold. It’s at least 100 yards walk from the car park to the admission entrance.)
3.Have your booking letter / QR code / NHS number readily available.
4 Carers are not admitted.
Otherwise, the trip was fine, even at 08:45. The entrance is at the north east corner of the stadium, where there is a traffic light-controlled junction on Alan Turing Way (ATW). Once off AT Way, cones segregate testing and vaccination traffic and staff are on hand to guide vehicles.
My friend said the arrangements inside the vaccination centre were excellent – there was even a special “process” for dealing with those, like her, that had not confirmed their appointment properly.
The car park is vast, so when it gets busy, it may be a challenge for a returning “vaccinee” to find their car. I thought that segregation of pedestrians and vehicles was poor as people have to cross the entrance to the car park to access the vaccination accommodation.
If you need further information, please just email me or telephone as I am in contact with plenty of people who will hopefully know the answer.
Thanks as always for your support
Helen, CGN Co ordinator
Chorlton Good Neighbours 