Plymouth hospital trust awarded key role in new Devon vaccination service
The NHS trust will deliver a new vaccination outreach service across Devon from September, focusing on communities where people face barriers to accessing routine healthcare and vaccinations
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) has been awarded a new contract to deliver vaccination outreach services across Devon.
The three-year contract, announced yesterday by NHS South West, will begin on Tuesday 1 September.
UHP is one of seven organisations chosen to provide the service across the South West.
The aim is to improve access to vaccinations in communities where uptake is lower, including areas with higher levels of deprivation and for people who face barriers to accessing routine healthcare.
The outreach teams will use local data to identify where support is most needed and work to improve access to vaccination services.
Darryn Allcorn, Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Integrated Professions at UHP, said: "We are really pleased to have been chosen to deliver this service to our local population.
"Vaccinations are one of the most effective ways to protect people from serious illness and, for many years, we have run successful local vaccination roll-outs.
"This development will enable us to expand the expertise we can offer in this area. The outreach service will be able to use local data and insight to see where support is most needed and reach those under-served areas, helping to close the gap in health inequalities."
Dr Georgina Angel, Consultant in Public Health and Screening and Immunisation Lead for NHS England South West, said improving access was a key part of the programme.
She said: "Vaccinations save lives. But we know that access is not the same for everyone, and some people face additional barriers when engaging with health care and vaccinations.
"These new outreach services are an exciting and significant step forward in bringing services more closely in line with the needs of local communities.
“Building trust and developing stronger relationships is at the heart of service design, improving access and supporting vaccine conversations where it is needed most."
The new contracts cover each Integrated Care Board area across the South West.
Alongside Devon, services will also be delivered in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset.