Birmingham and Nottinghamshire trusts offer 24-hour Covid vaccines

Two hospital trusts are among the first in the country to begin offering a 24/7 Covid vaccination programme.

The University Hospitals of Birmingham and Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest Hospitals trusts have been chosen to pilot the round-the-clock jabs from Wednesday.

Currently the standard opening time for vaccination centres is 08:00 to 20:00.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

has previously said he aimed to extend the hours when supply allowed it.

The vaccines will be offered to existing high-priority groups, including those aged over 80 and frontline health and social care workers.

The BBC understands there will also be a focus on vaccinating hospital staff on nightshifts.

Both hospital trusts have been approached for a comment.

The government announced on Monday that people in England in their 70s, and those listed as clinically extremely vulnerable, will begin receiving offers of a vaccine this week.

It is aiming to vaccinate all 15 million people in the top four priority groups by 15 February.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said every adult in the UK will have been offered a vaccine by autumn.

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