Westfield COVID Vaccination Centre opened on 25 January 2021 and is one of hundreds of nationwide centres set up to deliver the COVID vaccination programme. Attendance is strictly by appointment only. People will be contacted by the NHS to book an appointment according to the Government's priority list.

The Centre is open from 8.00am - 8.00pm seven days a week. When fully operational, it will be able to provide thousands of vaccinations a day. Each visit will take approximately 20 minutes per person using the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine. This needs to be administered in two doses between 4 and 12 weeks apart, requiring two visits.

Mammoth Project
Dr Paul Gilluley, ELFT's Chief Medical Officer, has led on the project. He said,

"It has been a mammoth project to get the Westfield COVID Vaccination Centre up and running in a matter of weeks but staff at ELFT have really come together to make it a success. Everyone is proud to have been able to play their part in providing a central point for the public to get the COVID vaccine. It is another step along the way to protecting people from the virus and helping our local communities to get back on their feet.”

Team Effort
The project has involved ELFT's estates team, pharmacy team, people and culture team, IT team, nurse trainers, medical staff, administrators, communication team and many others. A vaccinator recruitment and training programme had a great response. The centre will be run by 93 staff. A team of volunteers have also been recruited.

Staff Vaccines and Training
Before it opened, the Trust made use of the Centre to vaccinate health and social care staff including contracted staff such as domestic staff, porters and facilities staff. It was a chance to test procedures and processes prior to opening to the public.

Dr Gilluley goes on to say,

"I urge everyone to get the vaccine - when they are called. But we need to remember that we can still spread coronavirus even when vaccinated so we still need to wear masks or face coverings, wash our hands regularly throughout the day and keep 2m away from one another."

New Friends
The Trust has struck up a great partnership with the Station Manager at Stratford station and the management team at Westfield.

Scott Parsons, UK Chief Operating Officer Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield said:

“Westfield Stratford City is delighted to be able to donate space to the NHS to create a large scale vaccination centre in the heart of Newham. The service will be a huge benefit to our local community which has been particularly hard hit by the current crisis.”