FROM today (Wednesday, February 24), four large-scale vaccination hubs across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are offering walk-in Covid vaccinations - including one in Basingstoke.

For a trial period of seven days, walk-in appointments will be offered 7 days a week, between 12.30pm and 3.30pm, at the following Solent NHS Trust run centres: Basingstoke Fire Station, St James’s Hospital in Portsmouth, The Riverside Centre in Newport on the Isle of Wight and Oakley Road in Millbrook, Southampton.

The walk-in service is being offered to people in line with recommendations from the JCVI:

  • People age 64 and over
  • People who have received a letter from the government saying they are at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable)
  • Adults in receipt of Carer’s Allowance

To use the walk-in vaccine service, people will need to arrive at one of the four large-scale centres between 12.30pm and 3.30pm and bring proof of eligibility (e.g. shielding letter from the government, photo identification including date of birth, or Department of Work and Pensions letter for eligible carers, specifying in receipt of Carer’s Allowance). There may be a short wait for people to receive their vaccine.

David Noyes, chief operating officer at Solent NHS Trust, said: “We know that the vaccination programme is our way out of this pandemic. Opening the walk-in appointments at the four large-scale vaccination centres for this group of people will help us to vaccinate even more people with the highest need quicker. We are delighted to be able to offer this service for a trial period.”

Eligible people can now choose to either walk-in, or pre-book appointments by visiting www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination, where they can choose a time slot and location that suits them, or they can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm, seven days a week.