COVID-19 Vaccinations in The COVID-19 vaccination programme is well underway in Bromley.

our NHS in Bromley is working very hard to vaccinate people in the high- Y risk groups as quickly as possible. We are currently prioritising everyone over 80, residents and staff in care homes, health and care staff and then the over 70s and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable. This includes housebound residents in these groups.

It is important that you wait to be contacted for your vaccine. You will not be missed. We are running the largest vaccination programme in the history of the NHS and our services are extremely busy. Please help your NHS and do not call asking for the vaccine.

The vaccination programme is very fast paced and there will be new vaccination sites opening as more vaccine is made available. To keep up to date with how we are delivering the vaccination programme in Bromley, please go to www.selondonccg.nhs.uk

Please beware of fraud. The vaccine is free, and the NHS will never ask for your bank details.

Published February 2021

Where will I get my vaccine in Bromley?

You will be invited for your vaccine either by a phone call, text or letter. Appointments will be offered at one of the following:

In general practice, delivered At mass vaccination sites, by Primary Care Networks (PCNs). such as the Excel Centre or Epsom. There are five of these sites in The Bromley Civic Centre will open Bromley and small Clinical Satellite around March as a mass vaccination Clinics will run in some practices site for Bromley residents. as more vaccine is made available.

All hospital sites, Through ‘roving’ services delivered by NHS Trusts. to vaccinate housebound people and those who cannot travel to one of the other vaccination sites.

If you are invited to have your vaccine at one of the GP-led vaccination sites, this is where you will go:

Primary Care Network Primary Care Network Primary Care Network Primary Care Network The Crays Collaborative Bromley Connect

Practices Practices Practices Practices Surgery Ballater Surgery Broomwood Health Centre Dysart Surgery Highland Medical Practice, Bromley Bank House Surgery Crescent Surgery Lane Clinic Oakfield Surgery Bromleag Care Practice Surgery Southview Partnership Park Practice Bromley Park Surgery Gillmans Road Surgery Vaccination Site Robin Hood Surgery Surgery Medical Centre Community House BR1 1RH Sundridge Park Medical Practice Green St Green Medical Centre Surgery Vaccination Site Highland Medical Practice, Orpington Vaccination Site Oaks Park Medical Centre SE20 8QA Knoll Medical Practice Orpington Health & Wellbeing Centre The Family Surgery BR6 0FE Tudor Way Practice Whitehouse Surgery Vaccination Site Orpington Health & Wellbeing Centre BR6 0FE

Primary Care Network Primary Care Network Primary Care Network Primary Care Network Hayes Wick MDC Network Five Elms

Practices Practices Practices Practices Cator Medical Centre Addington Road Surgery Medical Practice Practice Cornerways Surgery Forge Close Surgery The Links Medical Practice () Norheads Lane Surgery Eden Park Surgery Pickhurst Surgery The Links Medical Practice () Southborough Lane Surgery Elm House Surgery Station Road Surgery Woodlands Practice Stock Hill Medical Centre Manor Road Surgery Wickham Park Surgery Vaccination Site Summercroft Surgery – (vaccines offered St James Practice Vaccination Site Community House BR1 1RH at Orpington) Vaccination Site & Shirley Baptist Church Vaccination Site Beckenham Beacon BR3 3QL CR0 8EH Community House BR1 1RH

The Bromleag Care Practice, run by the If you have received a letter from the NHS national booking service inviting you to make an Bromley GP Alliance is vaccinating care appointment for a vaccination at a mass vaccination site, you can ignore this if you would home residents and staff. rather wait to be contacted by your local primary care services for a vaccine closer to home.

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What do our doctors say?

What has been the impact of What can people expect when COVID-19 on your patients and staff? they are invited for a vaccine?

It’s been tough. Both personally and Please attend for your appointment. Get professionally COVID-19 has touched there on time but not early. Getting there everyone’s life. I know of families going early causes congestion and makes social through tragedies through losing loved ones. distancing much harder. You will be greeted We are seeing a real strain on everyone’s by volunteers and advised where to sit, mental health both from the effects of illness whilst you are booked in. A healthcare but also the isolation of lockdown. We have professional will ask you some questions changed the way we work so that we can to make sure it is safe for you to have the keep having contact with as many patients as vaccination. We will tell you which vaccine

possible whilst still keeping patients safe. All we are giving you and when you will have staff are working longer hours to cover clinics your second dose. We also have patient Dr Ruchira Paranjape, is a GP at the and carry out the vaccination programme. information leaflets for those who would like Knoll Medical Practice in Orpington I’ve been amazed at the commitment of my them. Don’t forget the practical things; wear and is part of the clinician team colleagues to cover isolation and illness and a mask, bring your spectacles or hearing aid providing vaccinations at the keep services running. if you need them. It helps to wear a short Orpington Health and Wellbeing sleeve under your coat. Depending on which Centre. As a front-line health and care Now with vaccinations in full swing there’s a vaccine you have you may have to wait for worker, Ruchira has had her vaccine. sense of hope for a return to a more normal 15 mins observation after your vaccination. life. To quote one of our patients after their Ruchira – why did you take the vaccine, ‘you are a bright spot in the darkness If you do not have an appointment, then COVID-19 vaccine? of this virus’. please do not turn up at a vaccination centre. The NHS will get in touch with you when it is As a GP I want to keep seeing patients. Having What advice do you have for those your turn to be vaccinated. the vaccine means I can keep working. By who are waiting for their vaccine? protecting myself I protect my family, my How important has the role of colleagues and my patients. I appreciate people are worried when they have volunteers been in helping deliver not heard anything, but please be patient and the vaccination programme? Are you confident the vaccine is safe? wait for us to contact you. You absolutely have not been forgotten. It has taken us some time We could not do without them. Bromley Yes, I have full confidence that the vaccines have to go through all the top priority groups as we has had hundreds of people coming been properly tested and confirmed as safe and have a much older population in Bromley, but forward to volunteer their time. They are highly effective by the expert Medicines and we have made good progress in recent weeks. greeting patients at the door and checking Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). temperatures. They are guiding patients to The UK has some of the highest safety standards We are contacting patients to invite them in book in at reception and to clinic rooms. in the world and I have full confidence in their for a vaccine at one of our GP led vaccination They are helping us keep patient flows expert judgement and processes. sites. You may receive a text message, letter running smoothly so we can get as many

or a phone call. We have five of these sites vaccinations done as possible but still keep What would you say to anyone who covering all parts of the borough. You may socially distanced. I have always been does not want to have the vaccine? also get a letter from the NHS booking service amazed at how willing Bromley residents I would urge them to think again. The inviting you to make an appointment at a mass are to pitch in and help. We saw this at vaccination reduces their chances of developing vaccination site. This could be at Epsom or at the start of the pandemic when volunteers serious illness from COVID-19 infection. By not the Excel Centre. were instrumental in getting information having the vaccine not only are they increasing and supplies out to vulnerable residents their individual risk of serious illness but those Calls to GP practices asking for a vaccination and we are seeing it again now. Our thanks of their loved ones. The more people that have appointment are blocking phone lines for those to Community Links Bromley and everyone the vaccine the greater the impact of driving who need to get through for other medical who is giving up their time to help us. down the virus. I would urge people not to reasons. The best thing you can do is stay home believe the misinformation out there but to and wait to be contacted. We will be in touch look at scientific facts. with you when it is your turn for the vaccine. 3

Where can I find out more?

For more information about the I am not registered with a GP – will Are there any side effects COVID-19 vaccination in Bromley Q I still be able to get the vaccination? Q to the vaccination? and the rest of south east London Yes, please visit www.selondonccg.nhs.uk Like all medicines, vaccines can cause please visit www.selondonccg.nhs.uk for information on how to access side effects. Most of these are mild Here you will find lots of resources A A vaccinations. We strongly encourage everyone and short-term, and not everyone including leaflets and answers to be registered with a GP so your health gets them. to frequently asked questions needs are taken care of. such as these: It is very hard to get through Very common side effects include: If you have had COVID-19, is it to GP practices at the moment. Q • Having a painful, heavy feeling and okay to be vaccinated? Q Primary care is under significant tenderness in the arm where you had Yes, you must still get the vaccine. If A pressure and we are being overwhelmed your injection. This is most common A you currently have COVID-19 please by so many calls coming in to ask about the around 1-2 days after the vaccination postpone your vaccination by four weeks vaccine. This means it is harder for patients • Feeling tired from when the symptoms started or when who are unwell to get through. Please do you got a positive test. not call to ask for the vaccine. The NHS will • Headache get in touch when it is your turn. • General aches, or mild flu like symptoms.

What do our patients and volunteers say?

he Covid-19 vaccination exit route which had more sanitizer at the “My wife and I had our vaccine at the programme is the largest ever door. We were outside by 11:55. We can’t Beckenham Beacon. Just wanted to express T undertaken by the NHS and think of a single negative comment to my appreciation of the wonderful, well there will be a few bumps in the road. make about our experience but plenty of organised and very friendly and efficient Please do bear with us. Our thanks good ones. Well done NHS and those kind staff there. Well done everyone at the to all those sending in constructive volunteers”. Beckenham Beacon. You are all stars...!”. and positive feedback as it is a huge morale booster for those working in “Thank you for booking me into the “Our thanks to Bromleag Care Practice who the vaccination centres. Here are just vaccination volunteering today. It are vaccinating care home residents. We a few: was so rewarding! I hugely enjoyed were the third home of the day, and the helping people with the vaccination team worked hard and were professional “My wife and I went to the Oaks Park process, making sure they had a positive throughout and they must have been tired. Medical Centre for our vaccine today, experience, and I am so very proud to You have a great team who are dedicated had a 12:00 appointment, we arrived have been an important part of what will to ensuring the care home residents at 11:45, no queue outside, our names be a huge chapter in future history. Very medical needs are met at a time when were checked, our hands sanitized, and many of the people who came in for their things are so difficult for us all”. another volunteer called the lift for us and vaccine remarked on how well organised even pushed the button to take us to the it was. The NHS is doing a wonderful job”. “Congratulations to the Vaccination Team 1st floor. We waited in a well organised at West Wickham and Shirley Baptist queue of maybe 8 people for less than “The clinic was run extremely well and the Church. My vaccination was on time, 5 minutes, given the jab together by a whole thing went like clockwork – well totally trouble free and very well friendly young man and then shown the done to the whole team at Orpington”. organised! I am most grateful”.

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