February 1, 2021 12.01 pm This story is over 36 months old

Lincolnshire’s 2nd largest COVID vaccine centre opening Tuesday

At the Lincolnshire Showground

The county’s second largest coronavirus vaccination centre will open at the Lincolnshire Showground on Tuesday.

It means Lincolnshire will be one of a handful of areas with two big vaccination centres, the largest being at the Princess Royal Sports Arena in Boston, which opened on January 18.

COVID-19 vaccinations will now also be provided from the new EXO Centre at the Lincolnshire Showground, which will be open daily between 8am and 8pm from February 2.

The vaccination centres at Lincolnshire Showground and in Boston are both run by Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.

Some 80% of over 80-year-olds have been protected with their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination across Lincolnshire, which is said to have “very few side effects”.

Both vaccination centres will target people in key priority groups, specifically local residents aged over 70 who live within a 45-minute drive of the sites.

Other key priority groups include residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, frontline health and social care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

Patients will receive a letter at their home address inviting them to book their vaccination appointment using the NHS national online bookings system.

A telephone booking service will also be available and options for those with sensory impairments.

Patients can also choose to receive their jab at one of the 13 local vaccination sites across Lincolnshire run by local GP networks. Patients will be contacted by their local surgery to make an appointment.

People do not need to call their local GP and should not turn up at one of the large centres uninvited as the NHS will make contact to sort appointments.

Meanwhile, plans to introduce a new roving vaccination service to offer jabs to homeless and housebound members of the local community will be announced soon.

Maz Fosh, Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, said: “The opening of the Lincolnshire Showground large vaccination site underlines the commitment of all local NHS organisations to deliver as many vaccinations as quickly as possible to those who need it most in our local community to help them get their lives back and see their loved ones.

“I’m incredibly proud of all our staff, volunteers and the help provided by local authorities through the Local Resilience Forum to make sure we were able to deliver this additional large vaccination site in such a short time frame.

“I have been touched by the stories shared by patients attending our Princess Royal site and the sense of relief that the vaccinations are now available, offering a path to freedom and their loved ones.”

Lincolnshire COVID-19 vaccination sites

Large vaccination centres

  • Princess Royal Sports Arena, Boston
  • Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln

Hospital hubs

  • Lincoln County Hospital
  • Boston Pilgrim Hospital

Local centres run by networks of GP surgeries

  • Louth Community Hospital
  • Meres Leisure Centre, Grantham
  • Waddington Branch Surgery, south Lincoln
  • St Marys Medical Practice, Stamford
  • Franklin Hall, Spilsby
  • Sidings Medical Practice, Boston
  • Rustons Sports and Social Club, Lincoln
  • Portland Medical Practice, Lincoln
  • The Storehouse, Skegness
  • Lincolnshire Showground
  • Springfields, Spalding
  • John Coupland Hospital, Gainsborough
  • Marisco Medical Practice, Mablethorpe