The significant development in the roll-out of vaccines at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall has been the result of collaboration between Sutton Coldfield Group Practice, University Hospitals Birmingham Trust, Summerhill Services Ltd, Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group, Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall and the Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP.

Sutton Coldfield Group Practice has been granted permission by NHS England to change their designated Covid vaccination site from the Falcon Lodge Medical Centre to the Edwardian venue in King Edwards Square. This will allow the Falcon Lodge site to return to surgery use, with its final vaccinations taking place on Sunday 31st January. This move will enable the team to deliver more vaccines per week.

Dr Jean-Claude Desveaux of SCGP said “Both vaccines – Pfizer and Astra Zeneca ‘Oxford’- are very effective and which one given on any day depends on the deliveries we receive.

“We have a wide pool of vaccinators including retired doctors and nurses, paramedics, nurses seconded from different organisations, physios, podiatrists etc to enable us to continue to deliver medical services from our individual sites. The site will be active for nine hours per day seven days a week vaccine supply permitting.”

Vaccinations are allocated according to NHS and Government guidelines and visitors will be contacted by telephone for their appointment. Those without an appointment will not be admitted.

Those attending for vaccination do not need to purchase a ticket in the Birmingham City Council pay and display car park which is opposite the Town Hall on Anchorage Road. Adjacent to the BCC car park, The Townhouse has also granted free parking for people attending for vaccination.

Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council is co-ordinating the volunteer steward roles to support the vaccination programme, details of which can be found at Sutton Coldfield Together.

Councillor Simon Ward, Leader of Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council said, “Thanks to a monumental effort by the SCGP team, many thousands of vaccinations have already been given at the Falcon Lodge Medical Centre. Adding our iconic Sutton Coldfield Town Hall on board as the central vaccination centre for our royal town will increase both the number of jabs delivered to the residents and the speed at which they can be administered. Crucially, it will make residents across our community safer more quickly.

“Throughout the pandemic the Town Council has stood ready to provide whatever support and assistance residents need and is delighted to again offer this practical support to our local NHS, GPs and residents in this next stage in the fight against coronavirus.”

Andrew Mitchell MP said, “As the National vaccination campaign gathers pace it has always been clear that our Town Hall is the right and best location for our Royal Town. I am proud that working closely with Dr Rahul Dubb our lead GP, the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, and the NHS locally and nationally we are now able to surge ahead delivering this life saving service for my constituents in our great Town Hall”.

Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust staff have also begun doing home visits to vaccinate our housebound patients who are not able to travel to any vaccination centres.