A ROMSEY-based charity is poised to help transport patients to vaccine hubs across Hampshire after Crosfield Hall shuts this week.

A final clinic will be held at the venue on Wednesday, June 9, before staff from Romsey and North Baddesley practices stand down from the vaccination centre.

This comes after a Facebook post from the practices explained staff and volunteers have "worked tirelessly" to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations from the hub, but GPs now want to focus on bringing staff back into surgeries to care for their patients.

Now the charity Unity has announced it will be offering patients transport to vaccine hubs if they don't have access to a car or public transport.

Chair of Unity, Terry Bishop, said the team is "delighted to have been able to support the vaccination programme in Romsey" and have worked with the NHS to provide the "valuable service".

She said: "The volunteers have been a pleasure to work with and we have been immensely grateful for the time they have given, not only during the week, but at weekends too to support local residents to access their critical Covid vaccinations.

"Throughout this period, Unity has also provided transport to those who cannot access the clinics and we will continue to offer this assistance despite the change of venues."

Deputy leader of Test Valley Borough Council, councillor Nick Adams-King, claims to have urged the Hampshire and IOW Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to launch pop-up clinics.

He believes this will cut travel time for patients who need the game-changing jab.

He explained: "A number of other sites are not particularly easy to get to using public transport, so if you're without a car accessing them becomes challenging.

"I have pressed the CCG to consider pop-up clinics if there are a number of people who are unable to access the vaccination centres."

The leader previously posted on Facebook, people booking vaccine appointments in southern Test Valley will be directed to sites in Totton, Eastleigh and Southampton.

Crosfield Hall was first transformed into a coronavirus vaccine site in December as part of the UK's biggest immunisation programme in history.