A WILTSHIRE pensioner says the NHS Covid-19 vaccine roll-out should be taking place at non-medical centres.

The NHS has ramped up the nationwide mass roll-out programme by increasing the number of vaccination centres available for people to use.

There are now two vaccines available to protect patients – the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech. The Moderna vaccine has now been licensed for use and will be available later this year.

Bob Burgess, who lives at Heytesbury near Warminster, says the NHS should not be using local GP surgeries and health centres for the mass vaccination programme.

In Warminster, The Avenue Surgery has combined with the new White Horse Health Centre in Westbury to carry out vaccinations there.

Mr Burgess added: "To my mind this is the wrong approach. The Westbury health centre is on the outskirts of the town, so you need either a car or use public transport to get there.

"It is a health centre, so patients will be going there for doctor's appointments, x-rays, blood test, clinics etc. It also has limited parking facilities - when going there for my wife's out-patient appointments the car park has often been nearly full during normal use.

"Surely it would make more sense to use a non-medical site, to separate Covid 19 from those undergoing ordinary medical care, and to have somewhere in a town centre with larger car parking facilities."

Mr Burgess, who is married to Lyn, suggested the NHS should instead be using the Civic Centre in Warminster next to the Morrisons car park.

He added: "BoJo stated no-one should have to travel more than 10 miles - if you live like me in the Wylye Valley it is nine miles via Warminster, or 10.5 miles using the bypass but if you live in Codford it would be closer to 15.

"The distance is really immaterial, but having a larger building and a site with more car parking surely does make sense.

"With the 11th-hour overhaul of plans to deliver Covid-19 vaccines after the MHRA ruled that all patients given the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine must be observed for 15 minutes there needs to be waiting areas to feed patients in and also to monitor them before they leave."

In Melksham, vaccines are being given at the Spencer Sports & Social Club on the Beanacre Road. People from the Bradford on Avon area are being called to Melksham for their vaccinations.

On Tuesday, Trowbridge Town Council voted to allow the NHS free use of the Civic Centre for Covid vaccinations.

The vaccination schedule is:

• All those aged 80 years and over and frontline health and social care workers

• People aged 75 years and over

• People aged 70 years and over and people deemed to be clinically extremely vulnerable.

• People aged 65 years and over

• Individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality

• People aged 60 years and over

• People aged 55 years and over

• People aged 50 years and over