Chichester residents call for city-centre Covid-19 vaccine site: your letters – part two

It comes after it was revealed the vaccine would be delivered in the Chichester district at four GP-led sites – none of which to be located in the city itself.

In the first part of a special letters digest, we published a number of readers’ contributions on the debate – see part one here.

Click here for the full background to the story, which includes a detailed statement from the NHS to explain its stance.

More of your letters are published below:

‘Vaccine plans are not enough’ – letter by Rod Francis, Gordon Road, Southbourne

Hampshire has provided timely Covid vaccinations. Older inhabitants of Hayling Island had their first injections three weeks ago.

Yet Chichester will not see the first vaccination until later this week. There are several suitable premises within Chichester, such as the county council offices, Festival Theatre and district council offices all within easy reach of adequate parking.

With just two surgeries at Selsey and Tangmere providing up to 1,000 vaccinations a day, several times a week, will not provide the required treatment for the huge number of vulnerable people in this area by the Prime Minister’s stipulated time frame of February 15. Surely, it is time proactive action is taken.

‘Don’t let us be area to fail’ – letter by Alison Probee, Conifer Drive, Hambrook

I believe that the residents of Chichester and the surrounding areas have been badly let down. Chichester must have a higher-than-average proportion of older residents yet as I understand it not one person in the area has had the Covid vaccination. Did the rollout of the vaccination come as a surprise?

It was stated that it was difficult to find a hub, one of the criteria was parking – yet a location has been selected with limited parking which will probably be taken up by staff organising the vaccinations and the adjacent children’s nursery.

Patients of Southbourne surgery without a car would have difficulty getting to Selsey (two bus journeys or a taxi, not a good idea if you have been shielding). I have nothing but praise for the staff and doctors of our Southbourne surgery, the way the flu inoculation was carried out was a bit like a military campaign. I only wish they could do the Covid inoculations – perhaps the pub next door could be utilised for the 15 minutes recovery period?

Surely a bit of imagination was necessary. I have seen television reports where practices have erected a marquee in their car park.

Why not use the committee rooms at County Hall? Practically all staff are working from home and the rooms are regularly used for blood donor sessions.

Other possibilities are the council chamber in North Street, the Festival or Minerva theatres.

Please don’t let us be the one area where all the critical groups are not immunised by the middle of February.

‘Adding to the Covid anxiety’ – letter by Sally Bunday, Whyke Lane, Chichester

I was thinking that with the Festival Theatre closed and a large car park to hand, could the foyer of the theatre not be used for the Chichester vaccines?

There are several wide entrances, a drop off point outside for the very elderly and disabled.

For someone over 80 with health problems who has been isolating, I can see how going to Tangmere/Selsey either by bus, a lift with a neighbour (if your household does not drive) or an expensive taxi could all lead to a spread of the virus for a vunerable person, who may not want to take chance.

All of this is adding, I feel sure, to the anxiety over this whole situation.

‘Almost limitless vaccine sites’ – letter by Keith Browning, Canon Lane, Chichester

What nonsense that there are no suitable areas for vaccine jabs in central Chichester.

Possible sites include Chichester College, the university, the leisure centre, high school, Bishop Luffa and our two theatres. All have extensive facilities and plenty of parking. I live in central Chichester and with no car. How would I get to Selsey – eight miles along one of the most dangerous roads in Sussex and to Tangmere, which is not so far but equally unaccessible. You wouldn’t want people on public transport because of the contamination problem.

This is a total disgrace.

I also note that Haslemere had a clinic set up in a church from the first week in December – nearly six weeks ago. Haslemere was the lowest priority in whole of Surrey at the time.

How about using the cathedral? Letter by Chris Waite, Lauder Close, Emsworth

I am appalledthat there is no Covid vaccination centre in Chichester. Opposite the West Sussex County Council building is one of the largest, emptiest buildings in the county, complete with open yet covered cloisters for queuing – the cathedral.

A short walk away there is the multi-storey car park and other vast car parks attached to Chichester College, which should be very empty as the establishment is currently closed. If you need to know whether drivers are genuinely coming for vaccination, stand a traffic warden at the entrance to admit them and stamp their vaccine invitation letters from the NHS as proof.

With God on our side, what can possibly go wrong?

Not everyone agreed with there was a need for a city-centre site. Dr Hilary A. Platts, Bonnar Road, Selsey, wrote:

Instead of the good folk in Chichester being pleased that finally the vaccination programme is going ahead, they whinge because they have to travel to Selsey! Oh, what a shame.

They will have to travel a maximum of two times in order to get the initial and reinforcing doses of vaccine.

We folk who live on the Manhood Peninsula, if we need any treatment requiring a hospital, we have to travel to Chichester. And that may well be for a number of visits in excess of two.

Do we whine on about it? No, it is just a fact of life.

Whilst coming down to Selsey, why not take advantage of our wonderful high street?

Get a grip you people of Chichester, and be grateful that it is finally happening.

Additionally, John Barstow, member of the USDAW Executive Council, Fittleworth, wrote to call for access to the vaccine for the retail sector

As key workers the retail workers and their distribution and driver colleagues have kept the country fed. By nature of their work they also mix with the most people.

Hence it is vital that HMG intervenes to ensure these key workers are offered the Oxford University Vaccine and at accessible venues. Why not their own workplaces? A lot of retail workers do not have access to a car.

It is also vital that HMG as the central government intervenes to ensure such a policy applies across the whole United Kingdom. Retail operations are UK wide involving much travel including across the Irish Sea.

Sussex MPs and Peers may care to raise this issue in Parliament on behalf of both retail workers and society at large.