NHS Lothian today opened the doors to a new mass vaccination centre which will help provide thousands more doses of the lifesaving vaccine. The new centre has been created in the former Royal Bank of Scotland Younger building at the Gyle.
The centre will open with eight stations, capable of providing 480 appointments every day, but will have the capability to double in size.
Pat Wynne, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “A significant amount of effort has gone into the preparation of the site to ensure that it runs as quickly and smoothly as possible.
“I am extremely proud of the work undertaken by our staff and our Royal Bank of Scotland partners to get this site up and running and ready to receive patients.
“We are moving through our vaccination programme as fast as the vaccine supply allows. When you do receive an appointment, we would urge you to keep it, even if it is at a centre that seems far away from your home.
“In order for the programme to be successful we need to vaccinate as many people as possible. This will help save lives and provide protection to all our communities across Lothian.”
NHS Lothian has been working with councils, health and social care partnerships and other partners in recent weeks to deliver the mass vaccination programme.
Smaller community clinics will deliver vaccinations in the local area for people with complex needs or who, for other reasons, absolutely cannot and would not be expected to travel to a mass centre.
The opening of the Younger building follows closely on the heels of other mass vaccination sites, following the EICC, Pyramids Business Park, the Royal Highland Centre and the drive-through at Queen Margaret University.
Malcolm Buchanan, chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Throughout our 300-year history, Royal Bank of Scotland has been focused on supporting and helping our customers and communities through the challenges of everyday life.
“The last 12 months have been some of the most challenging in living memory and today we are proud to play our part in supporting the biggest mass vaccination programme our country has ever undertaken.
“This is just one of many ways in which Royal Bank of Scotland has been supporting the response to COVID-19. The generosity and care of colleagues and customers has helped us support charities helping individuals and families affected directly and indirectly by the pandemic.
“Covid-19 has been one of the worst things we have ever experienced but it has also brought out the best in the people we live with and work beside. Everyone wants to make life better.
“We are delighted at Royal Bank of Scotland to be able to partner with NHS Scotland and transform our Younger Building into a vaccination centre. These actions today will lead to a happier and more positive tomorrow for so many.”
Paul McGirk, Chief Executive of Hub South East, NHS Lothian’s Development Partner, said: “We are delighted to be working with NHS Lothian in the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination centres across the region – surely one of the most important infrastructure developments in recent times.
“Our contractor, Morrison Construction, our designers and the rest of our supply chain partners pulled out all the stops to ensure that the QMU site was handed over safely, to a high quality and on time for its first patients to receive vaccines today. Following the opening of the EICC Centre last week, and with more set to open in the coming weeks, this has been a fantastic partnership effort by everyone involved.”
If patients absolutely cannot keep the appointment they have been given, they are being asked to call the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013 or visit https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine to rearrange their appointment. If they are aged 75 and over, they should phone their GP practice to rearrange their appointment.
More details and information about the venues can be found on NHS Lothian’s website https://www.nhslothian.scot/Coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/default.aspx
Or for more information about the vaccine and appointments on NHSInform.scot https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine