Walk-in COVID jabs paused at SM

Walk-in COVID jabs paused at Guttmann Centre in Stoke Mandeville — please book appointments instead

People wanting to get the COVID vaccination or booster at large-scale vaccination centres in and around Buckinghamshire are being urged to book an appointment by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Oxford Health is the lead provider for large-scale vaccination centres for Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West and cater for first, second and booster doses to all eligible people.

From tomorrow (Friday 10th December), the Trust's three vaccination sites — at the Guttmann Centre in Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the Kassam Stadium in Oxford and the Broad Street Mall in Reading — will be pausing the majority of walk-in jabs in order to prioritise pre-booked appointments.

The only people who will receive walk-in doses are the severely immunosuppressed who have a letter advising of the need for a third primary dose or a booster.

You can book your first and second vaccinations and booster via the National Booking Service (or call 119) and also find alternative walk-in opportunities via the national Grab a Jab website.

Anita Sherwood, Oxford Health's interim director for COVID operations, said: "As more people become eligible to book appointments on the National Booking System, we have taken the decision to suspend our walk-in offer so that we are able to maintain the smooth running of the mass vaccination centres.

"It is very encouraging to see so many people coming to our sites for their jabs every day and our teams are committed to ensuring that everyone who books gets theirs alongside a high level of care and customer service.

"We don't want people to have a wasted journey so would encourage people to book an appointment or seek an alternative walk-in via the national website if that is what they prefer.

"We are continually looking at how we can use our resources to maximise appointment capacity and will keep the situation under review."