ELDERLY residents and care workers from Whitchurch, Wem, Ellesmere and Malpas have begun the process of receiving Covid-19 vaccinations.

Vaccination rollout has begun for patients of Dodington Lodge, Churchmere, Wem and Prees and Laurel Bank surgeries, with those eligible being contacted with appointment times and dates.

For north Shropshire the Gobowen Orthopaedic Hospital has been designated as a vaccination centre, and those eligible in Whitchurch, Wem and Ellesmere are being directed there to receive the vaccine.

Meanwhile Malpas residents will receive their vaccination at the Freemasons Hall in Waverton near Chester.

Here's how local surgeries will be getting in contact with registered patients.

Wem and Prees

Wem And Prees hope to begin vaccinating care home staff as soon as possible followed by over 80s, with vaccinations taking place this week at the RJAH.

They are asking patients to bear with them as they are dependant on the vaccines arriving when they say they will.

This is unfortunately out of their hands but say staff are offering to help in their own time at RJAH.

Churchmere - Ellesmere and Whitchurch

The surgery say people most at risk from the complications of Covid-19 are being offered the vaccine first so they are asking that patients wait for the surgery to contact them.

Dodington Surgery - Whitchurch

Shielding patients will soon receive a letter from the government on their latest guidance for this group.

This letter does not come from the GP practice and they do not know what will be in it so please wait for it to arrive.

The surgery are asking please not to telephone the practice regarding the Covid-19 vaccine as they will be contacted by the NHS when they are eligible.

The invite will include all the relevant details on how, when and where it will be.

Laurel Bank Surgery - Malpas

The Laurel Bank Surgery has been informed that the Primary Care Network has received confirmation that they will be receiving 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

It is planned to administer this vaccine by appointment through Rural Alliance Covid vaccine clinics, on Thursday 7, Friday 8 and Saturday 9 January.

These clinics will be held at Cheshire View which is the Freemasons Hall in Waverton.

The Malpas Surgery has 189 appointments to book across the three days.

The Surgery will be working with colleagues from Bunbury, Kelsall, Tarporley and the Village Surgeries Group.

They will be arranging for our most elderly and frail patients to attend for a 10 minute appointment on one of these days, with a second appointment exactly 12 weeks later.

Our other residents will need to be patient, this vaccination will only be cover approximately 35 per cent of our over 80s.

National supplies of the vaccine are limited and at this time there is no indication when the next delivery will be.

However, it is expected that deliveries will improve over the coming weeks.

The surgery has also been informed that it will also receive 400 doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine which will be used initially to vaccinate the PCN 5 care home residents and staff and our housebound patients.

However, this will not start until all the paperwork for the vaccine is received from NHSE (Nation Health Service Executive).