MORE than 10,000 Covid autumn booster jabs have already been delivered at York’s vaccination centre – and medics will start giving people flu jabs as well from next Monday. 

But patients are being urged NOT to book via the NHS website if they want to get both jabs done at once.

Professor Mike Holmes, of primary care service provider Nimbuscare, which runs the centre at Askham Bar Community Care Centre, is warning that people booking on the NHS national booking system may not be offered both vaccines.

Writing his weekly column for The Press, he says people instead need to wait for a text from Nimbuscare on behalf of their GP practice.

"The main message to local people who require both vaccines is please wait for your invite from Nimbuscare," he says.

"We have started sending text messages out in stages, inviting people for both their flu vaccinations and their Autumn Covid booster vaccinations.

"Communication will start this week and appointments will be offered from October 3 for these co-administered vaccination sessions. Where possible, depending on the stock of flu vaccines we have, people will be offered both their flu and covid vaccinations at one visit.

"As always with healthcare, it’s not been straightforward. As people may know, York was chosen as not only a local vaccination centre, offering vaccines on behalf of GP Practices, it is also a regional Covid vaccination centre. 

"This means that people booking on the NHS national booking system may not be offered both vaccines. Where possible we will try to offer both, but this may not always be possible, so please bear with us."

He says that any patients who have issues with the internet, or who are having trouble with the booking system, should contact its helpdesk on nimbuscare.help.desk@nhs.net.Hetext messages in batches based on stock, so patients shouldn't worry if they have not yet received a text/letter.

He says he also wants to stress that Askham Bar is not a walk-in centre at the moment.

"This is because we want to both manage our resources and ensure you have the best possible experience when visiting our service, particularly as the weather becomes inclement."

Meanwhile, Prof Holmes has revealed that Children’s Treatment clinics (CAT Hub) have been reopened at Askham Bar for children under 12 years old with respiratory illness and fever, with the service available for babies and children from all of Nimbuscare's practices.

"The idea behind this is to provide a service for children, and their worried parents and carers, to ease the pressure on primary care and to reduce the number of children who attend A&E," he adds.

"The clinic will be open on Thursdays and Fridays from 14:30- 20:30. To access the clinic, children should be referred by a healthcare professional."