GP surgery in Pickering achieves 100 per cent Covid-19 vaccine take-up rate after staff hand deliver letters to 975 vulnerable people

Patients from the market town of Helmsley were among those vaccinated in the first cohort

After realising that they did not have enough time to send letters inviting eligible patients by first-class post before the arrival of the first batch of vaccines, Pickering Medical Centre staff worked late into the night to print and then hand deliver letters to 975 people, many of them living in isolated villages and farms.

Each one of the clinically vulnerable patients from Pickering, Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Terrington accepted their invitation - with many of them people who had been shielding for months and were 'desperate' for the jab.

Pickering's local volunteer network sprung into action to help the letters reach almost 1,000 patients in just four days.

Practice staff have credited good relationships with the local community and trust in medical services for the successful roll-out of the vaccine to the first cohort of over-80s, who will return in two weeks' time for their second dose.

Dr Helena Ebbs from the surgery Tweeted: "All 975 vaccines given. Not a drop wasted. Amazing team. Amazing Ryedale residents, patients, carers and volunteers alike. Sandwiches delivered by the fire service too."

Among those to reply was palliative care nurse Jane Berg, whose mother was one of those to receive the vaccine and said she was now looking forward to being able to visit her in January.

A spokesperson for Pickering Medical Practice said: "There was an amazing response - people were really positive and keen to come forward. We have a cohort of 1,920 patients over the age of 80, so we could only reach a small percentage and prioritised the most clinically vulnerable.

"We were only told last Thursday that we were getting the batch, so we basically had four days to write to people and get them booked in before the vaccines arrived on Tuesday. We weren't sure what time that would be, so had to wait until Wednesday before the clinics could start.

"It was a huge effort - our own staff worked late into the night, they stayed until 10pm to print, fold and then deliver letters. We tapped into the Pickering volunteer network, who have been immensely supportive. They went out all over the weekend delivering them.

"Hardly anyone declined a vaccine, and we do have a large elderly population with high rates of dementia and cancer. Many of them had been shielding and their lives had been very limited, so they were desperate for it. They were just so happy to be able to go out again.

"We have good relationships with patients, and because we put ourselves out there to reach people, they appreciate what we have done. Some volunteers drove patients who don't have family living nearby to the clinic.

"The success was down to us working collaboratively with lots of different organisations, we've built those networks and it made the quick turn-around a lot easier."