Shrewsbury indoor bowls centre opens as coronavirus vaccination centre

The town’s new vaccination centre is next to Shrewsbury Sports Village, in Sundorne Road, Sundorne.

Semi-retired farmer John Hughes, from Pontesbury, was the first recipient of the day, one of more than 380 vaccinated at the Shrewsbury Indoor Bowling Centre, which has been transformed to accommodate around 1,000 patients at day.

Mr Hughes said he was really appreciative to get the jab and hopes he will be able to see friends in the village again soon.

He said: "It's nice to have it done. I have missed seeing friends in the village, so hopefully I'll be able to do that again soon."

Many retired medical workers have returned to the profession to help with the national campaign, including Bharti Patel-Smith, who retired as director of governance and involvement for the Shropshire CCG in 2017. She is one of the clinical leads for nursing at the Shrewsbury hub.

She couldn't resist getting involved and was enjoying the excitement of being back.

Shrewsbury area residents have a new shuttle bus service to get to the vaccination centre from this morning.

The free service is operated by Arriva in partnership with Shropshire Council.

Services VS1 and VS2 will run every 20 minutes throughout the day, with Shuttle VS1 running from 0735 until 2015, and Shuttle VS2 running from 0745 until 1945.

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VS1 will serve Bayston Hill, Meole Brace – Moneybrook Way, Abbey Foregate – Shirehall and Monkmoor Road.

While VS2 will serve the Harlescott Park and Ride site and Coton Hill.

On arrival at the centre marshals will escort residents to get their vaccines.

Last week people in Shrewsbury were sent letters directing them to the wrong venue for their coronavirus vaccinations - after a mix-up over the town's indoor bowls centre and ten-pin bowling site.

Some letters invited people to use the NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Booking Service to book their jab at the AMF Shrewsbury Ten Pin Bowling Centre in Harlescott instead of the indoor bowls centre.

Vaccination centres also opened at Ludlow Racecourse and the New Bucks Head stadium in Wellington earlier this week.

GP surgeries, pharmacies, the county's hospital hubs and Telford's International Centre are also playing their part in the vaccination programme.

The venues are offering vaccines by appointment only.

Dave Evans, joint accountable officer for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, said getting the centres ready had required a 'monumental effort'.