Posted on: 22 February 2021
A CNWL Home Vaccination Team in Milton Keynes has managed to reach 530 people in just 12 days.
Following a successful callout for help from Deputy Operational Director Deb Simons and Divisional QI Lead Michelle Dowling, the team was established with both clinical and admin staff who started vaccinations on 28 January.
Deb said: “We were asked by the Primary Care Network (PCN) Clinical Directors about how we could best support a vaccination programme to housebound patients in Milton Keynes.
“We met and discussed what we could do and then sent out an email far and wide across Milton Keynes asking for people to help and were overwhelmed by the response.” 
Some of those who responded are retired CNWL staff, whilst others are doing it as a voluntary redeployment or who have given time from their existing roles including from NHSE/I and General Practice.
Deb added: “I’d say that we managed to pull everything together within a week to 10 days. Honestly, we couldn’t have done it without the help and support of everyone including our Lead Pharmacist and IPC Team. We worked closely with a number of the PCNs, and this partnership working made for the smooth delivery of vaccinations to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
“Everyone in the team has said how much they’ve enjoyed it, and that they felt like they were doing their bit towards getting everyone vaccinated. Most of the team aren’t people who would normally go out like this to people’s homes, so it was a new undertaking for many.
“We will be continuing to provide this service as the cohorts change as well as doing the second vaccinations. We are also soon hoping to support the provision of vaccinations to the hard-to-reach groups such as the homeless.
“I’m immensely proud of all of the team and what we have achieved in such a short time.”