CHESTER Racecourse is one of 18 large-scale Covid-19 vaccination centres due to open across England.

The latest announced sites, which includes the city's racecourse and Leeds United FC's Elland Road stadium, will mean there are now more than 100 major vaccination centres offering the life-saving jab.

There are also more than 1,000 local GP-led Covid vaccination centres, nearly 200 high street pharmacy services, and over 250 hospital hubs.

Some sites will be opening from tomorrow, but an exact date for the racecourse launch has not yet been confirmed.

However, it is expected to be mid-February.

Welcoming the news, Cheshire West and Chester Council leader Louise Gittins said: “This is fantastic news and a positive move forward. Let’s all play our part in this process and get vaccinated when invited.

"This past year has been a huge struggle for many people, and we can all help to turn this around by getting vaccinated and playing our part in the fight against the virus.

“The offer from the Racecourse to use their facility is really appreciated and working in partnership in this way, brings with it support and skills that will be invaluable.

"It’s great to see the public sector working in partnership with a private sector organisation in such an important response to the pandemic.”

Chief Executive of Chester Race Company, Richard Thomas, added: “We were really keen to ensure that our local area could benefit from a mass vaccination centre and are very pleased to be able to support the NHS with their essential vaccination program.

"We plan to offer our facilities for seven days a week, apart from race days, and our staff are proud to have the opportunity to support as volunteers to help deliver the facility.”

The mass vaccination centre at Chester Racecourse will be by appointment only and staffed by clinicians, led by the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust, and a range of qualified volunteers and racecourse staff. 

Meanwhile, GPs in England will be paid an additional £10 by the NHS for every housebound patient they vaccinate against coronavirus, it has been announced.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Through our historic vaccination programme, we’ve already provided one in five adults with a jab, and we’re going further, faster.

“We’re rightly giving GPs the resources they need to offer vaccines to the most vulnerable people who might not be able to leave their homes or those who live in rural areas.

“I am so proud and grateful to the thousands of NHS staff, volunteers, local authorities and armed forces working tirelessly in all four corners of the United Kingdom to offer millions of lifesaving jabs to the people who need it most.”

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and NHS medical director for primary care, added: “Tremendous efforts have been made by GPs across the country to ensure we vaccinate those people who are in the priority cohorts as determined by the JCVI.

“Since the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use and we began administering it on 4 January when Brian Pinker became the first person to receive the jab, my colleagues across the country have been prioritising the vaccination programme roll out which is our biggest chance of beating this virus.

“Please remember the NHS will be in touch with you when it’s your turn to be vaccinated.”

The £10 per visit additional funding recognises the extra staff time and complexity of vaccinating the housebound.

The supplement also applies retrospectively to any vaccinations which have already been administered to people at home.

Priority groups for vaccination in this initial phase were determined by the government following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and cover people aged 70 and over, the clinically extremely vulnerable, NHS workers and care home residents and staff.

Millions of letters have already been sent out to those eligible to get their jabs at the major vaccination sites across the country.

Nobody needs to contact the NHS, as people will be invited when it is their turn and people cannot get vaccinated by just turning up.

If anyone has already received a jab since the letter was sent out or would prefer to wait to be invited to attend a hospital or GP service, they can simply ignore it.

The sites due to start opening from Monday 8 February are:

  • Chesterton Indoor Bowls Club, Cambridge
  • East of England Showground, Peterborough
  • Hemel Hempstead Hospital, Hemel Hempstead
  • Norwich Community Hospital , Norwich
  • Old Laws Court, Lowerstoft
  • Whitemore Lakes, Lichfield
  • Elland Road Stadium, Leeds
  • Hull City Hall, Hull
  • Alderley Park Conference centre, Macclesfield
  • Chester Racecourse, Chester
  • Bucks University Aylesbury Campus, Aylesbury
  • St John Shopping Centre, Preston
  • The Mall, Burnley
  • The Mill Arts & Events Centre, Rayleigh
  • Saxon Court, Milton Keynes
  • Watford Town Hall, Watford
  • Watling House, Dunstable
  • Angel Centre, Tonbridge