UWE Bristol sets up large-scale vaccination centre in exhibition and conference centre

From 7 July, some members of the public will be able to receive their vaccination at UWE Bristol’s Exhibition and Conference Centre (ECC), as the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Vaccination Programme opens a new large-scale centre in the decommissioned NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol.

The ‘Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol’ will have a capacity of up to 1,000 vaccinations a day and makes use of the existing facilities in the ECC, which was last year converted into a fully-equipped intensive care unit.

The Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol will sit alongside the NHS’s existing GP, community pharmacy and Ashton Gate vaccination sites. It will increase vaccination capacity across the region as it races to protect as many people as possible from the Delta variant of COVID-19 before any planned easing of restrictions. It will also allow it to bring forward second dose vaccinations from 12 weeks for those eligible, to offer people in our region the best possible protection against hospitalisation from COVID-19.

The Centre has a large free car park and is easily accessible by car from much of BNSSG, while UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus is a 15-minute bus journey from central Bristol.

Dr Tim Whittlestone, Clinical Lead for BNSSG Vaccination Programme, said: “Although we are making good progress in BNSSG, we still have hundreds of thousands of first and second dose vaccinations to give. The Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol will increase our capacity to ensure we reach the deadline of offering all adults a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine before 25 July.

“If you have been putting off booking your appointment, please don’t delay. We have lots of first dose vaccination capacity at the moment on the National Booking System, in GP clinics and at walk-in centres. We’re working hard to make it as easy as possible for everyone in our region to take up the offer of a vaccination by offering as many options as possible. Please book your appointment, now.”

Professor Steve West, UWE Bristol Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are proud to be able to help the regional and national effort to get people vaccinated so that, as a country, we can be in a far stronger position for the planned easing of lockdown. The University enjoys an extensive relationship with the regional NHS, and we place great value on being part of the community and making a difference.”