Call to Arms – resourcing the Covid-19 vaccinations
Call to Arms is the name of our campaign to recruit people to help with the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Derby and Derbyshire and the establishment of the Derbyshire Health and Care People Hub.
Call to Arms called for expressions of interest from registered health and care professionals and the general public to help support the vaccination programme. This included a paid and voluntary workforce that is delivering at primary care network sites and our mass vaccination site in Derby.
Our thanks go to everyone who responded and helped during the pandemic. In April 2021 our mass vaccination site in Derby administered their 100,000th vaccine.
The video that was produced at the start of the campaign is shown below.
Volunteer with DCHS
The roles in the Covid-19 vaccination programme are primarily based at our mass vaccination site at Midland House which operates a seven-day vaccination service.
We also support the local vaccination sites below, these are stipulated by vaccine clinic schedules (not seven-days a week like the mass vaccination site).
Local volunteer sites
- Newholme Hospital, Bakewell
- St Oswalds’s Hospital, Ashbourne
- The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield
- Church Farm, Ripley
- Stubley Medical Centre, Dronfield
- Long Eaton Health Centre
- Babington Hospital, Belper
- Sharley Park Leisure Centre, Clay Cross
- Thornbrook Surgery, Chapel-en-le-Frith
- Buxton Medical Practice
- Oakland’s Residential Village, Swadlincote
- Springs Health Centre, Chesterfield
- Littlewick Medical Centre, Ilkeston
If you would like to register your support for any of the following volunteer roles, please click on this Derbyshire Community Health Services weblink.
Details about the specific requirements of these roles are shown in the links below.
Registered health care professionals
We are encouraging registered health care professionals to contact us to help support the Covid-19 vaccination programme. You may be looking for additional hours or a professional seeking to return to practice.
Registered health care professionals are responsible for vaccination drawing-up and patient clinical assessment prior to the vaccination, as well as, subject to the precise role, delivery of the vaccination itself.
The role may include:
- Multiple activities such as: clinical assessment, dilution and drawing-up of the vaccine from multi-dose vials and additional clinical support
- Enable the delivery of vaccinations to all eligible citizens by assisting with the overall co-ordination of the site activity and day-to-day delivery of the vaccination programme
- Ensure clinic rooms and equipment are available at the start of each session
- Clinical assessment and administer the Covid-19 vaccine to citizens as per the standard operating procedure
- Confirm the identity of the citizen and the agreement of undertaking vaccination, addressing any concerns
- Ensure that the vaccination is conducted in line with the citizen’s condition (encourage standing position or provide seating option if necessary)
- Administer vaccines into the citizen’s deltoid (upper arm) in accordance with training and local and national policies, procedures and standards
- Ensure that citizens are directed to the post-vaccination observation area
- Once the vaccination is delivered, dispose clinical and non-clinical waste in bins provided at the station and ensure surfaces are wiped down
- Wear adequate PPE equipment in line with current national guidelines
- Recognise and respond as needed to any medical emergency or complications during vaccinations
- Respond to queries appropriately and liaise where necessary to gain further advice or information.
If you are able to start working in this role, please contact dchst.peopleresourceteam@nhs.net
Health care assistants
We are encouraging health care assistants to contact us to help support the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Health care assistants will be involved in supporting the vaccination activity and sanitisation, working closely with the vaccinator and post-vaccination observation volunteers.
The role may include:
- Support with the configuration of the vaccination station, ensuring the availability of initial consumables, waste receptacles, trolleys and vaccines
- Be familiar with Patient Group Directives for the vaccination
- Support vaccinator with the disposal of any clinical and non-clinical waste and change of PPE
- Ensure waste control and sanitisation of the vaccination area
- Ensure waste control and sanitisation of the post-vaccination observation area
- Support with the storage, transportation and delivery of vaccines and equipment (e.g. collect and return vaccines to storage areas, ensure disposal of used clinical equipment)
- Ensure strict data and patient record confidentiality.
Admin support
We are encouraging administrators to contact us to help support the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Admin staff will be responsible for providing admin support (data recording) to the vaccination activity inside the centres, working closely with the vaccinator.
The role may include:
- Provide administrative support to the vaccination site’s staff
- Ensure all paperwork has been provided pre-vaccination by the citizen, check identity and confirm vaccine details (type, date, time, dose)
- Maintain, request and transfer confidential patient records, ensuring they are stored in an accurate and secure filing system. Adhere to confidentiality as per the site’s policy
- Prepare citizen for the vaccination (e.g. have their arm ready)
- Direct citizen to the post-vaccination waiting area
- Record vaccine stock when removed or returned to fridge and to report low stock levels for vaccines, stationery and clinical equipment
- Report low vaccine stock to maintain appropriate levels, checking expiry dates and recording wastage
- Record vaccination event and mark completion; if for any reason the vaccination hasn’t been completed, record that information along with the reason
- Coordinate and maintain communication with team members about routine and daily activities including rotas, contacting clinical staff, updating systems and other duties
- Provide non-clinical advice, information to patients/clients and relatives when necessary
- Assist with data collection activities by ensuring records are up-to-date
- Assist in ordering, receiving, storing and transporting vaccines in accordance with Management Medicines Policy
Stewards
Stewards/marshals play a huge part in the smooth running of our vaccination sites, supporting the patient flow through pre and post vaccination.
Our stewards manage the parking, entry and exit to our sites and they often support patients who require mobility assistance.
