Hartlepool patients told to travel to York and Newcastle for jab 'after Government reduced region's supply'

Mike Hill has said he has been made aware of people being told to travel to York – 60 miles one way by car – or Newcastle – a 32 mile journey – to get their immunisation.

He has raised his concerns with Health Secretary Matt Hancock, stressing travel by public transport puts the clinically extremely vulnerable at risk and says he believes it has become an issue since changes were made to the distribution of the doses.

The town’s Labour MP is a supporter of our Shot In The Arm campaign, which calls on the Government to use community pharmacists to help deliver the vaccine programme.

In a Facebook post, he said: “I was made aware of people in Hartlepool being told to travel as far as York and Newcastle to get their Covid-19 vaccination.

"Until recently, everyone eligible in Hartlepool was being vaccinated in Hartlepool.

"This has only happened after the Government reduced our region’s vaccine supply.

“Now the Government are asking vulnerable people to make an 80 mile round trip to get something which was available five minutes away from home two weeks ago.

"This is shameful and dangerous.

“I have written urgently to the Government and to the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group to demand urgent answers and to request that local provision is fully reinstated.”

In his letter to Mr Hancock, he said until a few weeks ago, the programme was “taking place at an impressive rate”, but residents were now being told there was “no availability" in Hartlepool.

He added: “Notwithstanding the danger to clinically extremely vulnerable people who may have to make this journey on public transport at a time of serious public health risk, this appears to have only become an issue following the changes made to vaccine distribution in the North East over the last two weeks.

"I would therefore be grateful if you could explain what steps you will take urgently to restore full local vaccination services in Hartlepool.

"I would be further grateful to you if you could explain to my constituents why this was allowed to happen in the first place.”

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