Imran Hussain MP has today urged the Government to create two further vaccination hubs at well-recognised sites at St Luke’s Hospital and Eccleshill Community Hospital to support the roll-out of the vaccination programme.

Whilst the COVID-19 vaccine is currently being rolled out across Bradford with those in the top priority groups for the vaccination invited to a number of select sites across the District, Imran has argued that as the rollout begins to cover other groups, capacity and the number of vaccination site will need to increase, particularly in under-represented inner-city areas and estates across the city.

Consequently, Imran is pushing the Health Secretary to help healthcare partners in Bradford to establish two further sites to act as vaccination hubs at St Luke’s Hospital in Little Horton and Eccleshill Community Hospital in Ravenscliffe, with both facilities easily able to support the infrastructure needed to store and deliver those approved vaccines that require a specific balance of conditions.

These additional hubs would not replace the larger centre being established at Jacob’s Well, nor the vaccination at the Bradford Royal Infirmary or other community health centres and GP practices, but supplement them by providing large, easily recognisable and accessible facilities to ease the pressure on other healthcare settings.

Speaking on his call to the Health Secretary to expand the number of vaccination sites in Bradford, Imran said:

“We need to ensure that we can rapidly increase the pace of delivery across the District, and so we need to guarantee that the vaccination is easily accessible for all of our residents.

“However, the Government have failed to provide me with the reassurance that there are enough sites for wider rollout across Bradford, particularly in the inner-city areas and other estates across the District which face higher health inequalities and face greater risks from Coronavirus, which will mean that these areas which need to vaccine the most will continue to be badly served.

“I am therefore urging the Health Secretary to establish two further vaccination hubs at St Luke’s Hospital and at Eccleshill Community Hospital to provide this increased capacity and to compliment the sites being prepared at Jacob’s Well, as well as the hospital hub at the BRI and other healthcare settings.”