Staff from Care Plus Group’s Primary Care team have extended their outreach work in the community by delivering their first Covid-19 vaccine programme, targeting the homeless and other vulnerable individuals across the town.

During one session the team successfully administered the vaccine to 15 people, having visited shelters and temporary housing facilities in Cleethorpes, as well as visiting other known spots around town where the homeless stay. There are plans to support more people with another session scheduled for a couple weeks’ time, to get as many people as possible vaccinated.

Due to the patient’s vulnerability the team members will be going back out into the community a few weeks’ after each cohort’s first vaccine to administer their second dose.

Kirsty Newson, Operations Manager for Open Door and Quayside Medical Centre, planned to undertake the Covid-19 vaccine outreach programme as they know how hard it is to get these individuals to engage. Open Door is well known for supporting vulnerable and at-risk individuals and already complete health outreach sessions each week, so they see the homeless and vulnerable in the community on a regular basis already.

Kirsty Newson, Primary Care Operational Manager at Care Plus Group, said: “The first outreach session was really successful, and it was lovely to hear how much the service users appreciated us going out and giving the vaccination, they were truly over the moon to get the vaccination.

“The team and work that Open Door does, always goes above and beyond and we work in ways that are best for our service users. As the only vaccination site in North East Lincolnshire to undertake such outreach work due to our knowledge and expertise in the field, I am incredibly proud of the work we do and want to thank the team for all their hard work.”

Lisa Revell, Executive Director of Operations/Chief Nurse at Care Plus Group, said: “The Outreach work that Open Door delivers supports the community who sadly live in very difficult circumstances, and where health care is much in need. Our staff are skilled in working with at risk and hard to engage individuals and are trained in the social aspects of nursing, this allows them to adapt how they offer health support in way that meets the individual’s needs as well as promoting the health agenda. It is essential that these individuals are offered the same opportunity to the vaccine.”