Earlier this week a drop-in COVID vaccination clinic was set up for homeless people in High Wycombe.

At the Kings Church in Desborough Road 20 patients who may otherwise have missed their chance for a vaccine were given jabs.

Within the next 12 weeks, a follow-up clinic will be arranged for patients to get their second jab.

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The patients which included people who have been rough sleeping and staying in emergency shelters, were invited to the clinic by Wycombe Homeless Connection.

The vaccination team on site was led by GP Dr Amanda Bartlett, of Priory Surgery, and the Clinical Lead for the Cygnet Primary Care Network (PCN).

Over the last six months, Cygnet PCN has been working with Wycombe Homeless Connection to improve health outcomes for the community, including homeless people.

Dr Bartlett said: “They are extremely vulnerable as a group of patients, so it’s really important for them to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

“But it can also be hard for them to get to a vaccination centre like the one we are running at Adams Park, so we wanted to reach out to invite them into this clinic. There would be a really strong chance that they wouldn’t get their vaccine otherwise.”

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James Boultbee, CEO of Wycombe Homeless Connection, highlighted the importance of making sure homeless people had the opportunity to be vaccinated.

He said: “Since the start of the pandemic, we have worked with Buckinghamshire Council and a number of local agencies and together we were able to make sure no one had to sleep rough in Wycombe.

“This kept people safe both from COVID and the numerous other dangers of life on the streets.

“To be able to make sure our clients are included in the vaccination programme will also be life-saving. I’m hugely proud of the hard work of our team, Cygnet PCN and the way everyone has pulled together to make this happen.”