London will have 24/7 vaccines by the end of the month, according to the Government minister responsible for the vaccination programme.
Nadhim Zahawi MP, the vaccines minister, said a pilot to roll out 24/7 vaccinations would take place by the end of the month in the capital.
This would then be rolled out more broadly across the country, he said. He told Sky News on Monday: “We are going to pilot the 24-hour vaccination, the NHS is going to pilot that in hospitals in London and we will look at how we expand that.”
Asked for when it would start, he said: “By the end of January, absolutely.”
He said a government target to give every adult a first jab by September was “achievable” and said that over-70s are currently being offered first jabs in areas only where “the majority” of over-80s have had their first shot.
The call for a 24/7 rollout was initially rebuffed by the Government, which had said there was no “clamour” for 24/7 vaccinations, because the majority of those being vaccinated were elderly.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s press secretary, Allegra Stratton, said: ““My understanding is at the moment there’s not a clamour for appointments late into the night or early in the morning.”
Mr Johnson later said himself a 24-hour rollout was going ahead.
Unison, the union which represents health workers, has also said 24/7 rollouts may not be the best use of resources.
Its head of health, Sara Gorton, said: “When it’s the turn of younger people, 24/7 clinics may well be appropriate.
“But for now, appointments in the early hours aren’t suitable for very many vulnerable elderly and wouldn’t make the best use of already overstretched staff.”
Vaccination centres currently run from 8am to 8pm. No further details of which hospitals or centres may move to 24-hour rolling vaccinations have been released.