GPs have been instructed by the Government to focus on urgent needs and vaccinations for the next few weeks.
In a televised announcement on Sunday night, Boris Johnson said every adult will get the chance to have a booster by the end of the year.
ALSO READ: Huge queues for walk-in jabs in Oxford
Despite the huge challenge at hand, Oxford GP Dr Chris Kenyon, who works at Beaumont Street Surgery in Oxford, is feeling optimistic that the vaccines will be delivered.
He said: “I’m in the engine room, not the ship’s bridge, but to continue the nautical analogy, it really is an “all hands on deck” scenario, so the view from us is that we will do whatever we can to help get people vaccinated.
“Inevitably that will mean all of us putting in extra time and will necessitate postponement of non-urgent work. Whether this initiative will cover the proportion of the population that it aims to is hard to say and will be influenced by a wide range of variables, but it’s not impossible.”
He says the surgery is in the planning stage of the programme.
The NHS says it is prioritising bookings for boosters and is urging people to book a slot to guarantee their vital jab.
ALSO READ: Walk-in jabs causing HUGE queues on Oxford roads
It has asked every local area to dramatically increase the number of appointments they have in place for vaccinations.
Huge queues formed in Oxford today as people waited to get their booster jabs after the Government warned we could see a ‘tidal wave of Omicron’.
People in Oxfordshire flocked to walk-in vaccination sites this morning to get their booster, with long queues seen throughout the day outside the Exeter Hall vaccination clinic in Kidlington.
ALSO READ: Boris Johnson confirms first UK Covid death linked to Omicron variant
There are two places in the county where people can walk-in to get their booster jabs. These are the Kassam Stadium in Oxford and Exeter Hall.
People can also book appointments at these venues online.
Covid restrictions have returned to Oxfordshire as Plan B rules come into force across the country in a bid to tackle the spread of the Omicron variant.
Face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public places, people are encouraged to work from home if they can and from Wednesday, people will have to show proof of being fully vaccinated to get into nightclubs and large events or show proof of a negative lateral flow test.
Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Layla Moran thanked the NHS for its hard work as the rollout gets under way.
ALSO READ: The Plan B rules for Oxfordshire
She said in a tweet today: “A big thank you to all NHS staff, the army and volunteers who are being asked, again, to go above and beyond. It was only a few weeks ago GPs were being criticised for the fallout of the last spike. Now they will face the same again. And they’ll do it with a smile. Thank you.”
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