Rye News thought it would be of interest to you all to hear how one of our local GP practices is weathering the Covid-19 storm, so contact was made with the Rye Medical Centre practice manager, Mrs Jackie Kempton, who found time to update us, just as the confirmation of the Etchingham vaccination site was confirmed by the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, contracted by NHS England to provide the vaccination programme to rural Rother and Rye.
How has the practice been doing?
On the whole we have been extremely lucky and our staff remain Covid-19 free so we have been able to keep on contacting our patients and seeing those who need to be seen face to face.
Rye and rural Rother central vaccination site
We now have confirmation that the rural Rother and Rye central vaccination site will be Etchingham Village Hall, Parsonage Croft, TN19 7BY.
Rural Rother stretches right out from Burwash and down to Rye so the site has been chosen with that in mind. NHS England will send out both available vaccines according to dose production, to Etchingham Village Hall. Transport issues for patients have been raised and planning for this is going forward, but there isn’t any further news on this.
Important messages to everyone
The GP surgeries will contact each eligible patient directly to book them in at Etchingham All vaccinations will be carried out there. Please do not contact the GP surgeries or Etchingham Village Hall
Rye Medical Centre tries to update its website as soon as information is available. There is also a new telephone system so messages are also put on there, notifying of any changes.
This is evolving daily and Rye News will do its best to keep you informed. Many thanks to all the staff at our local GP practices helping us to get through this.
Image Credits: Rye News library .
Presumably pharmacies will now be involved in the vaccination programme. Laycocks Pharmacy at Ore, Hastings, has been seeking volunteers to help with this, for example.
With a two hour lunch break at rye medical centre it would make it very difficult.
Etchingham is a long trip for the elderly of Rye and surrounds! Can we hope for closer sites at some point?
It would be A very good idea with the pharmacy Did not close for two very precious hours during the day. Old people having to use good day light and if they have no transport would have to walk up the hill. Mothers working from home and home schooling trying to juggle their day around a very long lunch hour at the pharmacy.
Our nursing staff and doctors in the hospitals do not have the luxury of taking time out.
One would expect that the pharmacy isn’t run off their feet, as fewer patients are using the doctors at the moment.
Perhaps our medical centre can take the time to think this through.
I quote from above: “Rural Rother stretches right out from Burwash and down to Rye and so the site has been chosen with that in mind.” Then whoever chose the site cannot have looked at a map as Burwash is a village 2.4 miles (a 5 minute drive) along from Etchingham, Rye a 45 minute drive and Camber an hour’s drive!
As the current vaccination plan is for the over 70s to drive a distance, I have not read anywhere about toilet facilities, whether these will be available and, if so, how Covid safe? Will a cleaner be employed? I thought the current guidelines are to limit contact as much as possible.
My husband and I went for our ‘jab’ yesterday. Whereas, I have heard Day One was slightly disorganised yesterday was organisation personified. The drive, to Etchingham, though in the pouring rain took only 35 minutes. We were greeted warmly and went to the nurse’s desk within moments for her to check our details. Then, we were escorted to the vaccination area where a doctor vaccinated Paddy and a nurse did the same for me. We then moved a few yards to take a seat for 15 minutes to make sure we had no side effects. Time up, we were politely shown out by one of the many volunteers and drove home happy the deed was done!
That’s such good news to read that you both , Pamela and Paddy have received the vaccinations . I know the location for this is not ideal but pleased that you have put a positive spin on the procedure and hopefully many more Ryers who are eligible will experience the same .