A ROMSEY GP has announced they are rolling out the coronavirus vaccine to the next group of people as part of the UK's biggest immunisation programme.

Abbeywell Surgery, The Abbey, revealed they are contacting patients between 16 to 65-years-old with underlying health conditions - putting them at a higher risk of serious disease or mortality.

Those who are in receipt of a carer's allowance, or anyone who is the main carer of an elderly or disabled person, whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill, will be eligible for the jab.

All of these people are in group 6 on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's (JCVI) list.

However, the surgery warned it will take them a few weeks to contact everyone who is eligible for the game-changing jab, due to the size of the group.

A Facebook post from Abbeywell Surgery reads: "Our second clinic this week is well underway at Crosfield Hall - which is starting to feel like a second home for our hard-working vaccinators and volunteers.

"In line with national guidance we are currently contacting patients who fall into Group 6.

"This is a very large group of people (across all three practices, there are over 3,000 people in this group) so it will take us a few weeks to be able to contact all of those who are eligible; we ask for your patience while we contact everyone.

"Where we have a mobile phone number on your record, we will send you a text invitation to book an appointment, otherwise we will call you on your landline number."

The surgery also unveiled residents who had already received their first dose at Crosfield Hall, Broadwater Road, before Christmas will soon be contacted to get their second dose appointed booked.

The post added: "For those who received their first dose on 22nd or 23rd December, we will be calling you to book your second dose in the week [starting] 8th March.

"The clinics will be at Crosfield Hall and we will start calling to book you in this week."

Anyone aged 64 and above, has received a letter classing them as clinically extremely vulnerable and adults in receipt of carer's allowance are still being urged to book their Covid vaccination if they haven't had their first dose yet.

Eligible people can pre-book appointments at walk-in centres, which are being trialled across Hampshire next week.

The nearest one to Romsey is at the NHS Southampton Clinical Commissioning Group Offices, Oakley Road, Millbrook.

Other Hampshire centres include: St James’s Hospital in Portsmouth, The Riverside Centre in Newport on the Isle of Wight and Basingstoke Fire Station.

If using the walk-in service, people need to arrive between 12:30pm and 3:30pm and bring proof of eligibility.

The service will be available until Tuesday, March 2.

There may be a short wait for people waiting to receive a vaccine and while visiting the centres, people are asked to follow all the Covid-19 safety guidance.

David Noyes, Chief Operating Officer at Solent NHS Trust, said: “We know that the vaccination programme is our way out of this pandemic.

"Opening the walk-in appointments at the four large-scale vaccination centres for this group of people will help us to vaccinate even more people with the highest need quicker.

"We are delighted to be able to offer this service for a trial period."

Eligible people can also pre-book appointments by visiting http://bit.ly/3bSH7Kz to choose a time slot and location, or by calling 119.