Immunisers urgently needed to join Health Board’s COVID-19 vaccination programme

Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) is making an urgent plea for registered health care professionals to join its COVID-19 immunisation team.

It comes as the health board makes final preparations to deliver a mass vaccination programme on a scale not seen before in the NHS.

Ros Jervis, Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda UHB, said: “The long term response to the pandemic requires a safe and effective vaccine to be available for all who need it.

“At Hywel Dda UHB we are making the final preparations to make sure that as soon as a safe and effective vaccine is approved for use, we are ready to deliver it to the people in our community most at risk from COVID-19.”

Dr Roger Diggle has come out of retirement to help out with the immunisation drive. He said: “I retired as Deputy Medical Director of Hywel Dda University Health Board in 2019 following a career as a GP, then Chief Medical Officer in the Falkland Islands and Medical Director of NHS Shetland.

“Since September 2019 I have been helping out a GP practice 4 days a month as a locum GP.

“I am intending to help the vaccination programme in any way I can as the success of the programme is critical to controlling the Covid epidemic.

“We need as many immunisers as possible in order to deliver the large number of vaccinations in as short a time period as possible. Come and join the team!”

Applications can be made through the health board’s website: hduhb.nhs.wales/jobs