Hazelwood vaccination programme is a triumph for Coleshill and North Warwickshire as practice is rated most successful in england.

Superman? Wonder Woman? Super Girl? Spiderman? Comic book writers need look no further than a white tent situated in a carpark of a GP Practice in a small coaching town for inspiration. In a matter of 5 short hours, a team of vaccinators made more than 1000 people safer from the dangers of COVID19.

As the world heads into spring, the people of Coleshill and the surrounding villages are now able to emerge from a year-long hibernation and look forward to life where they are safer and have more confidence that they won’t be hospitalised with the highly contagious and deadly disease. 

Hazelwood Group Practice staged their second successful “Super Saturday” where they invited patients, who found it difficult to attend regular and extended clinics during the working week, for first and second vaccines. The Practice has worked, non-stop, hosting vaccination clinics since mid-December in order to bring normality back to North Warwickshire. Staff members have worked tirelessly to organise clinicians, book appointments and order supplies for each clinic that is held in “the big white tent in the back carpark”. 

The gratitude from patients has been overwhelming. Most would be ecstatic to just be invited to make an appointment for a vaccine but to be able to pop down the road to the local GP surgery for the life-saving potion has been a massive boon for the town and surrounding area. Mrs J from Coleshill said, “I have been lucky enough to be invited for a vaccination already! I no longer drive and my only alternative would have been to go to one of the large vaccination centres in the city. I don’t have family nearby to help so being able to attend at my own GP and see a familiar face was reassuring. I’m overjoyed!! Can’t thank them enough”.

Mr M from Shustoke was amazed at the “gift” the town has been given. “I am a real needle-phobe; I’m terrified! Being a man, I didn’t want people to see me shaking. Nurse Sonia was incredible; put me at ease and I didn’t feel a thing! It was so quick! I won’t hesitate to have my second when I’m called. I can’t wait!”. 

Mr C from Coleshill cheekily remarked “I’m a Blue Nose, the thought of going to Villa Park for a jab was very unappealing!!”

The endeavour to get carers, care home staff, the housebound and care home residents vaccinated has been a priority for the Practice. Their dedicated Practice Nurses, HCA and Roaming Team have visited all the homes and housebound patients in and around the area. Mr R from Water Orton said, “Mum went into a care home just before COVID hit. We were blind-sided by the restrictions and it was terribly upsetting for Mum. The care home staff were amazing and we knew it was a difficult time for them. It was a relief to know that Mum and her carers were going to be safer once vaccinations started. We have had our first jab so are looking forward to being with Mum on a regular basis”.

Programme Coordinator for North Warwickshire and Hazelwood Group Practice Manager, Mandy Roche said “It has been a fantastic achievement for Rural Warwickshire North PCN, Hazelwood Group Practice and the whole of the community to be involved in the roll out of COVID vaccination programme. The staff involved have organised and delivered over 12,000 vaccines in less than 4 months just from the Hazelwood hub so far and will continue to do so until all cohorts have been fully vaccinated. We are so proud to have been recognised by Matt Hancock to be the PCN that has given the highest percentage of vaccines to the first 9 cohorts in England. This is a remarkable achievement by the team and we personally couldn’t be prouder. Hazelwood, Satis, Dordon and Pear Tree Surgeries have worked closely together to make Rural Warwickshire North a high achieving PCN and this just shows collaborative working at its best”. 

Dr Mehwish Qureshi, Clinical Director of the Vaccination Programme added, “It has been an honour and privilege to lead the Rural PCN and Hazelwood Local Vaccination Site to deliver the COVID Vaccine Programme to our patients. Hazelwood LVS was one of the first in the county to go live in December 2020. This has been a truly extraordinary journey and the one led by sincere thoughtfulness and genuine desire to do everything we can to protect our patients and community. Hazelwood LVS is ready to deliver phase 2 of the COVID Vaccine Programme and is fully committed to protecting our population. We are truly humbled by the national recognition of Rural PCN by the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Matt Hancock, as a highly performing PCN with highest percentage in vaccinating cohort 1-9. The support we have received from our community has been absolutely phenomenal and I cannot thank everyone enough for all the comments, kindness, cards, letters and gifts we have received. This would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and support of all our GPs, members of staff and volunteers who have worked non-stop to make it a success.”

The Hazelwood Group Practice would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of its staff. Without these amazing super-humans this endeavour would not have been possible. Standing alongside the Hazelwood staff have been the selfless volunteers who have worked with them during these testing times; Hazelwood and the community are forever in your debt. A massive “thank you” to local businesses who have supplied us with treats, cakes, hot drinks and parking facilities. Finally, to the patients who have shown immeasurable gratitude that has fuelled the endeavour to make the world a safer place to be. 

Hazelwood Group Practice is open as usual. Do not ignore your health and medical needs during these difficult times. PLEASE be sure to take up the offer of your COVID vaccination when you are invited to do so.