Walk-in Covid vaccination opens in the Midlands busiest railway station

The former HEMA store in Grand Central, Birmingham, has been transformed into a walk-in vaccination centre.

Network Rail, Birmingham and Solihull NHS NHS vaccination team and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street worked together to get the centre open.

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central route director, said: "The station, in the heart of the city centre, is a perfect location for an easily accessible vaccine centre to support this essential vaccination rollout. We were only too happy to help and will be supporting the vaccination team to get as many people through the door for their jabs as possible.”

Morag Gates, COVID-19 vaccine project director for Birmingham and Solihull, added: "We are so pleased to be able to offer COVID-19 vaccinations is such a central and well-known location in the heart of the city, at Birmingham New Street, which thousands of people will walk past everyday.

"Everyone who is eligible for their vaccinations; be it first, second or booster, are encouraged to come forward as soon as possible. Appointment slots are available to book, but we also offer a walk-in service. Booster doses for over 18s, who had their second dose at least 12 weeks ago, are also available."

Network Rail has given out more than 100,000 lateral flow testing packs to passengers at Birmingham New Street station.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: "It’s vital that access to the booster vaccine is as easy as possible, so a clinic in the busiest station in the West Midlands is in an ideal location.

"It’s great to see this happen so quickly and effortlessly thanks to the hard work of Network Rail and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, and I hope people will now step forward and use this new clinic to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

For further information about the local vaccination programme, visit: https://www.birminghamandsolihullcovidvaccine.nhs.uk.