Measham Leisure Centre has been confirmed as the North West Leicestershire Covid vaccination hub for patients from Ashby.

The district's Primary Care Network will be vaccinating patients consists of 13 practices: Castle Medical Group in Ashby, Ibstock & Barlestone Surgeries, Measham Medical Unit, The Surgery – Ashby, Broom Leys Surgery, Hugglescote Surgery, Coalville's Long Lane Surgery, Markfield Medical Centre, Castle Donington Surgery, Manor House Surgery, Whitwick Health Centre: Dr Patel & Dr Tailor, Whitwick Health Centre: Dr Virmani (& Dr Bedi) and Whitwick Road Surgery.

West Leicestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said today (Thursday) that the centre will be 'going live this week'.

It will be providing either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccinations to all eligible patients through their local primary care network.

Dr Kirk Moore, Clinical Director at North West Leicestershire PCN, said: "On behalf of all the practices in North West Leicestershire, we are delighted to start welcoming patients from all the GP practices in our PCN to begin vaccinating against coronavirus.

"The PCN team and all the surgeries have worked incredibly hard to get everything up and running and we thank our patients for their cooperation as we book them in for their vaccinations.

"We have clinicians offering to working seven days a week to ensure all patients are vaccinated quickly and safely.

"If you've not been contacted for your vaccines as yet please don't worry.

"As the supply of the vaccines we receive increases we will be in touch to book appointments for all eligible patients registered with one of our GP practices."

Councillor Richard Blunt, Leader of North West Leicestershire District Council, said: "The vaccine is crucial to turning the tide against Covid-19 and I'm sure people across North West Leicestershire will join me in welcoming this excellent news.

"While this is a key moment for our district, it is not the time for us to drop our guard.

"It is going to take time to vaccinate everyone, starting with our most vulnerable, and at this critical point we must continue to stay home, protecting each other and our NHS.

"Thank you to the NHS, district council officers and Measham Parish Council for their efficient and collaborative work that has allowed to get this vaccination centre up and running so swiftly."

Caroline Trevithick, Executive Director of Nursing, Quality and Performance for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland clinical commissioning groups said: "I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude to every member of staff that has worked so hard in getting the vaccination programme up and running in LLR, to get to this point has been no mean feat.

"Without the unwavering support and dedication of all our staff and colleagues across the health and social care system we wouldn't be where we are today and I'm delighted that all 132 GP practices across LLR are now vaccinating through their local PCN.

"This will enable us to continue to accelerate the immunisation programme even further across LLR meaning that as we receive more vaccine we will be able to vaccinate more patients every day and we can continue to build local resilience against coronavirus."

Caroline added: "Some patients are also being sent letters by NHSE&I offering the opportunity to have their vaccinations at one of seven large vaccination centres with the closest to LLR being Birmingham Millennium Point - I'd like to reassure patients that they do not have to accept this invitation if it's not practical for them. If patients choose to wait for a vaccination more locally they will still be contacted by their GP when it is their time to be vaccinated."

When a patient is eligible to receive the vaccine they will receive an invitation from their GP practice, either by telephone, letter or text message, to book in for their vaccination. Both vaccines are typically delivered by a simple injection in the upper arm.

Two doses of the vaccine are required for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines and this will range between three and 12 weeks apart to achieve enhanced protection against coronavirus. The first dose will give significant protection until the second dose is given.

There is a range of information available for patients ahead of receiving their vaccine, which can be found on the Gov.UK website.