Mass vaccine centres in Kent will be capable of giving 15 vaccines per minute when they are all fully operational.

The four sites – in Folkestone, Gravesend, Tonbridge and Thanet – are open or due to open imminently with a combined capacity of 11,000 patients every day.

This means up to 77,000 patients will be vaccinated at the mass centres every week plus the thousands more at dozens of GP-led vaccine centres in surgeries across Kent and Medway.

Across the whole NHS in Kent and Medway last week, more than 140 vaccines per minute were rolled out taking into account all settings where jabs are being administered.

The chief executive of the NHS trust running the four large-scale centres says vaccine supply is getting "more reliable" and the health service has seen a "remarkable response" to recruit staff for each centre.

Paul Bentley, who runs the Kent Community Health NHS Trust, told KentOnline the capacity for vaccinating people across Kent will mean the NHS can "make real inroads into this horrid virus".

Speaking at the opening of the Gravesend centre at The Woodville, Mr Bentley said: "We hope by setting this one up we'll cover the population of north Kent in conjunction with our colleagues in primary care and between us and cover the whole population.

"The 45 minutes to Gravesend is a broad distance and that's good but we don't want to exclude anyone from having the jab."

The centre has capacity for 2,000 people per day – equal to almost three every minute. The two pods with four bays each will operate seven days per week from 8am to 8pm.

The theatre, which has been closed due to lockdown rules, will be used for the next six months at least to vaccinate "hundreds of thousands" of people living across north Kent, including Medway.

The first patients passed through the doors this week as the centre became Kent's second mass vaccine centre following the first in Folkestone last week.

"We're starting at a slightly lower level so we're building up," Mr Bentley said.

"In context it's over 1,000 people a day but in due course we'll build that up. So by the time we're at full capacity we'll be at 2,000 people per day every day until the programme is complete.

"We want to do it as quickly as we can. But we must make sure it's safe.

"We have access to this site for six months. If we still need to be vaccinating at the end of that obviously we will do.

"We will get to people as quickly as we can but there's an awful lot of people so we have to work in a logical and systematic way.

"A 79-year-old gentleman said to me in Folkestone last week he had barely been out since last March and not seen his grandchildren and do the things that keep him well.

"He was slightly emotional having had his jab because it's one of those occasions that's life changing and it struck me that puts all those challenges we face into context."

It will be one of four mass vaccination centres operating in the county – Folkestone, Gravesend, Tonbridge and Thanet.

Mr Bentley said the centres in Tonbridge – opening next week – and the first in Folkestone already open will be able to vaccinate 3,000 people per day.

He added the centre in Thanet "opening in due course" will be of a "similar size" and adding Gravesend's 2,000 daily capacity brings the total for the county's mass vaccine centres to a potential 11,000 people per day – or 15 every minute.

Gravesham council leader Cllr John Burden (Lab) said: "It's been very impressive and seeing the Woodville – normally a theatre, cinema and for other entertainment – changed into this has been really exciting.

"It's good to bring it back into use for the community and I'm really pleased it's being used as an innoculation site.

"We offered various locations in Gravesham that we've got control of to encourage the NHS to come to Gravesham.

"The Woodville seemed perfect for them with separate entrances and people know the building.

"We want to make this as easy to use as possible to get everybody in from all parts of our community.

"We're talking with the local Gurdwara and they're very keen to get involved and will be putting the message into their community.

"It's really impressive that the leaders of all the communities are working together and with us to get the message out there.

"If you get the offer to come, please do come and do it.

"When you've seen people go through loss through Covid or had Covid and when there's no hope it's quite depressing. This now offers hope and the journey is changing."

The NHS confirmed the Tonbridge centre will open at the Angel Centre while the exact location for Thanet, which will open in "due course", Mr Bentley said, has not been announced.

Anyone living within a 10-mile radius or 45-minute drive of a centre will be invited to book an appointment.

Mr Bentley said: "What we'll have with four is that nobody in Kent will have to drive further than 45 minutes.

"It's important to say colleagues in primary care will continue with their vaccination programme. People will still be contacted by GP practices and for some that works better because it's a relationship you have and that you know.

"We want services that are accessible for everybody. The more people we can vaccinate the greater level of protection for them.

"We've set up a service that's very accessible and for those a bit more frail or wheelchair users, give consent have the vaccine and leave within no more than 15 minutes.

"I don't think of them [vaccination numbers] as targets, it's about our responsibility to vaccinate everybody over 18," Mr Bentley added.

"If you put the whole package together we will be vaccinating tens of thousands per day and will make real inroads into this horrid virus."

The chief executive said supplies of the vaccine were improving and he was confident this would enable centres to run as planned also thanks to a "remarkable response" to staff the centres.

'It's exciting to be a part of'

The first patients came through the doors to see the transformed auditorium converted into a hive of activity of a different kind.

Seats have been removed and the stage taken out to make way for Kent's second mass vaccination centre.

Anne Clarke, 78, from Painters Ash, used to work at the venue more than 40 years ago and said she felt at home in The Woodville getting her vaccine.

Anne said: “I saw all the big stars back in the day – Ken Dodd, Des O’Connor. I used to sell the ice creams and help people to their seats. It is wonderful to be back here having the jab.

"I have three grandchildren who I haven’t seen for months. I’ve not seen my friends, not been out at all. I’m just pleased to be here full stop.”

Gina Bii, a nurse carrying out the vaccinations, said: "It's definitely exciting and getting organised and then just jabbing people and making them feel safe.

"It's like seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and a lot of us are feeling low morale and as it went on and on there didn't seem to be an end.

"But this is definitely a sign of the end so to be a part of it is fantastic.

"Everyone seems excited to get their jabs and be part of it. Plus they get some interaction with others having been in lockdown, so it's all been positive."

Shirley Cooke, from Rochester, has chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), arthritis and glaucoma and booked online after receiving her letter.

The 75-year-old said: "It only took 20 minutes to get here, it was really easy to find and there was free parking. Everyone has been so kind and helpful.''

"I just want to have a life again and be able to hug my grandchildren, who are eight-years-old.''

Her daughter Abigail Mitchell took her mum to the vaccination centre. She said: "It was swift and seamless from start to finish, very relaxed and calm, not at all stressful. It was very clearly sign-posted both inside and outside the centre, which was really useful.''

Mary Hinchliffe added: "It was very easy and all feels fine. It feels like a step in the right direction. I'm quite excited.

"It's a bit different being in a theatre, I've not been for such a long time."

How will people be contacted?

Patients in the highest risk categories – over 70s and those with underlying health conditions – will receive a letter from the NHS inviting them to book an appointment for a vaccine appointment when it is their turn.

Mr Bentley said: "Letters give you a code to book a slot and a telephone number for those uncomfortable booking a slot online.

"People will make an appointment for their first vaccine and in no more than 12 weeks we'll ask people to come back for a second vaccine and at that time will have a much greater level of protection against the Covid virus."

"We will iron out queues, we're getting to that but the plea I make is please come on time – don't come early and don't come late."

Mr Bentley said they were working hard to ensure long queues – as witnessed in the opening days of the Folkestone centre – were not repeated.

"It's a very important point. I understand how desperately keen people are to get vaccinated but my plea to anyone making an appointment is to please come at the time allocated.

"We had examples in Folkestone last week when people were arriving two-and-a-half hours early.

"I understand why but we have an amount of capacity in the centre and if people arrive that early in duration it means you're going to stand around.

"We will iron out queues, we're getting to that but the plea I make is please come on time – don't come early and don't come late. We will get you processed as quickly as we can."

'Nobody will be left behind'

Thousands of staff have been recruited to run the mass vaccine centres, including former healthcare staff coming out of retirement.

Dr Sarah Phillips, medical director of the Kent Community NHS Trust, said they wanted patients to have a choice of access to the vaccine to ensure nobody is left behind.

"Whatever works best for people based on their circumstances or geography, we are trying to connect with all different sectors of the community," Dr Phillips said.

"In this area, there's a very active Sikh community so we're trying to make sure we're providing services in the right way to make it easy for people to get here.

"We don't want anyone to be left behind.

"Here there's very good public transport and we're right in the middle of town with loads of parking nearby. So in all of that, the choice of the building will try to make it as easy as possible.

"The energy that people have brought to this and the teamwork is really uplifting. People have been working 24/7 to get these buildings ready and has required so many skillsets.

"We've had estates people, emergency services and the council and you have to think about IT and having the right connectivity as well as all the clinical things that might seem more obvious to make sure it's safely stored.

"The energy that people have brought to this and the teamwork is really uplifting. People have been working 24/7 to get these buildings ready..."

"It's a huge undertaking and we're doing it as quickly as we can and make it better as we learn as we start to actually implement it.

"People have been tearing their hair out trying to solve the puzzle because across Kent and Medway you need them spaced out and accessible and have to have enough space inside and the right vaccine storage and facilities for deliveries

"There are so many things that have to be ticked so to make sure you have the right number of buildings across the geography has been really difficult.

"We started off with a huge number of sites and the team have worked to narrow it down to the ones which are most suitable."

Gurvinder Sandher, chief executive of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council, said it was vital all members of the community and minority ethnic groups took up the vaccine.

He added: "There's a lot of research coming out that people in black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities have been more reluctant.

"I think it's really important that regardless of faith or background has the vaccine.

"We're all in this together and unless we all get the vaccine we're never going to get out of it.

"That's the message we're sharing and working with community organisations and faith leaders that everyone needs the vaccine.

"Study after study has shown people from BAME are more likely to suffer from Covid so everyone must get the vaccine done.

"Now we have a centre here in Gravesham, it's a great opportunity to lead the way and say that all communities are together to get this vaccine."

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