The Army was spotted in Hamilton this week in a bid to step up the fight against Covid-19.
Soldiers were mobilised and sent to Whitehill Neighbourhood Centre, as vaccinations against the deadly virus ramped up across the country.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards were asked to help out with the logistics to set up the coronavirus jab clinics across Lanarkshire.
NHS Lanarkshire say work is well underway in preparing their Covid-19 community vaccination clinics, which start on February 1. Dr Mark Russell, associate medical director with Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire, is leading the delivery of the vaccine in the region, and said: “NHS Lanarkshire is working with the Army to help with the logistics of setting up our larger vaccination centres.
“We are setting up a number of these vaccination centres across Lanarkshire, with the Whitehill Neighbourhood Centre being one of them.”
The British Army is establishing the new Covid-19 vaccine centres for NHS Scotland, as part of the largest peacetime resilience operation ever undertaken by the UK Armed Forces.
The soldiers, mainly from the Leuchars-based Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, will support NHS Scotland.
Their remit is to support the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and local authorities in operationalising vaccination centre sites.
They will use their logistical, organisational and clinical expertise to establish the centres, before handing them over to NHS Scotland to deliver their vaccination programme.
Involving personnel from the Royal Army Medical Corps, the military team will survey suggested sites for suitability, then organise car parking and traffic flow systems, establish patient recording methods and practices, facilitate vaccine delivery to the sites, prepare storage for medicines and equipment, and conduct a smooth handover to NHS Scotland.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our work supporting the new vaccine sites in Scotland complements the extensive preparation and planning the military are already conducting to support the vaccine roll out programme.” Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “For us all, vaccines are the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m very pleased that the expertise of the British Armed Forces is helping the Scottish Government get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible.
“The UK Government is supplying and paying for vaccines for the whole of the UK – it is now vital that these doses are administered as soon as possible.”
A new wave of people across Lanarkshire started to receive their Covid-19 vaccination appointments this week (see pages 6 and 7).
Residents aged between 70 and 79, and those who are shielding, will be offered dates to get vaccinated at a centre near their homes throughout February.
