Health care team ‘one of best in England’
Northumberland is the best county in England for first and second Covid jabs and seventh best for boosters, The Ambler has learned.
As part of the Well Up North group, Amble is among the best performing GP Practices in England for Covid vaccinations
Richard Hay of NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group also told The Ambler that “it was safe to say that [the Well Up North Primary Care Network (PCN)] is one of the best in England”.
Dr Ben Burville of Coquet Medical Group, one of the Well Up North practices told The Ambler, “We are certainly one of the PCNs in the UK with the highest percent in population uptake for vaccines 1st/2nd and boosters.”
He said that the uptake had been good due to a variety of factors. A personalised approach plus the use of social media had been important. The patient’s whole experience of the procedure was also influential, so it was important to make it as seemless as possible.
He believed their methods could be useful when planning future campaigns.
Dr Burville also said that vaccination rates had been better in areas where there was more accessibility.
“Whilst many other PCNs stood up one Local Vaccination Site (LVS) we took the early decision to stand up three (Berwick, Alnwick and Amble). Morpeth patients initially went to Alnwick, with some getting vaccinated at Amble.”
He said the Morpeth GPs then established a fourth LVS site to help with booster uptake.
“This ensured patients had local access to vaccine from trusted teams lead by GP staff.”
The Well Up North group consists of 12 GP practices from Berwick to Rothbury to Amble and Morpeth.
Anna Williams
