Hartlepool's hospital trust set to hit 10,000 covid vaccines – but concern remains over take-up

The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has administered more than 9,500 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine since December 22 and could hit the 10,000 mark by the weekend.

These have been distributed among patients over 80 years old, staff, people working in community health and social care and other key workers such as those in the ambulance service and staff providing statutory mental health services.

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But while the vast majority of those slated to receive the jab have had their first dose, medical director Deepak Dwarakanath said there remained a “rump” who had not come forward.

Mr Dwarakanath drew comparisons with the annual flu vaccine with take-up among hospital staff and those working in the health care sector only around 80% on average.

He said: “We will be chasing them down the corridors, they risk themselves and their patients.

“I just cannot understand how someone who does not get vaccinated can expect life to return to normal again.”

Gary Wright, the trust’s deputy chief people officer, said he was proud that those who had been vaccinated by nursing staff had been treated as an individual and with care and compassion, while taking into account any concerns or questions they may have had.

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Meanwhile, chief executive Julie Gillon, speaking at a meeting of the trust’s board of directors, said the work done to deliver the jabs so far had been a “fantastic accolade”.

Mrs Gillon was asked by trust chairman Paul Garvin whether there were any risks to the supply of the vaccine being used by the trust.

She said: “We are definitely assured of the next two batches which takes us into next week.

“We are keeping an eye on that every day to make sure there is no limited supply.”

Mrs Gillon said the trust, which operates hospitals in Stockton and Hartlepool, had been under “enormous pressure” over the last three months because of the continued impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

She said it currently had 161 covid positive patients, which represented 32% of its overall bed space.

However the latter figure is down on the position about a month ago when more than half of its total number of beds were taken by those suffering from the virus – the equivalent of about five-and-a-half wards.

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