Professor Mike Holmes, who leads York’s mass Covid vaccination centre, says half of young people have been jabbed in two weeks - and pop-up clinics will lead to many more getting the jab

THIS week, as we celebrate the 73rd birthday of the NHS, I will be joining everyone in York to raise a cup of tea. The Team at Nimbuscare held a tea party as part the NHS Big Tea yesterday.

I truly believe that, had it not been for our truly skilled and dedicated staff and volunteers within the NHS, and particularly the NHS Vaccination Programme, we would be in a very different place today.

We now have hope and if something good can come of the last year, it would be that in York we have, despite all the odds, achieved collaborative working across the city. This will stand us in good stead as we go forward. The city has pulled together, we have broken down barriers which have often been there for decades, and worked together to fight our way through this pandemic.

The #GrabAJab initiative has been a monumental success in York and across the country with thousands of people turning up for their first vaccine here in York. We hope to be setting up more in the coming weeks so look out for the venues on our website and social media.

For people over 40, the second dose of the vaccine can now be given at 8 weeks after the first dose. So these people can just walk into the vaccination centre now at Askham Bar and get this if they are at this stage.

So nationally over 85 per cent of the population have received their first dose of the vaccine now and in North Yorkshire and Vale of York we are pushing ahead with our younger cohorts having vaccinated around 50 per cent of people aged 18 to 29 in just two weeks.

Bringing the vaccination programme out to areas where young people live will increase the Covid vaccine uptake rates in York.

The results of the pop up clinics will become apparent in the figures, especially for areas where younger people tend to live like Hull Road, Fishergate and Guildhall. These areas have nearly 15,000 young people living there, which is a huge percentage of their total York population.

The NHS only opened up the vaccination programme to this group on 18 June – just over two weeks ago – so it’s early days. I’m confident that we will start to see a positive increase in take up in these areas over the next week or so.

We’ve also just heard that the JCVI has advised that Covid booster vaccines should be offered to the most vulnerable from September. This will be the over 50s, clinically vulnerable people and health and social care workers. We will be having discussions with the health, care and voluntary community in York to agree how to deliver this booster vaccine alongside the annual flu vaccination programme.

Let me finish by coming back to the NHS birthday. It has been a privilege to see the NHS deal with the pandemic in that way it has. The dedicated individuals that work in health, social and voluntary care have been incredible. We are about to embark on more change within the NHS and one wonders whether the timing is right for that. We have obviously seen leadership changes at the top and we wait to see the impact of that. I am worried about what the next 18 months will bring. There are huge pressures in the system right now – greater than we have ever seen in the 73 year history of the NHS. Despite what we read, General Practice is busier now that at any point since 5th July 1948. New systems and looking to the future is all very well, but right now there is a need to focus on the present.

My plea to the NHS is please let us do that. I know that the front line workers in our hospitals, general practices and in social care will continue to do that. The NHS absolutely deserves its George Cross – however our leaders could do a lot worse than listen to those on the frontline when deciding how to manage its future.

I know my colleagues in the York system will continue to give everything for the residents of the city and navigate any challenges that come our way.

I’ll finish by giving my heart-felt thanks to everyone in this city that has contributed during these difficult times. It isn’t over yet but it feels like we are getting closer.