Worcestershire vaccination centre offers 24-hour booster sessions

Dr Jonathan Leach said staffing the centre was a concern

A vaccination centre in Worcestershire is operating 24 hours a day in an effort to give people booster jabs.

Organisers at the Artrix theatre in Bromsgrove said staff had been able to administer an extra 500 vaccines by operating through the night.

Normally only open to people with appointments, the centre had been accepting walk-ins from 21:00 GMT on Wednesday until 05:00 on Thursday.

It is hoped up to 2,400 jabs a day could eventually be administered.

About 1,000 jabs were given in the first 24 hour period, said operator SW Healthcare, a federation of surgeries operating across south Worcestershire.

Local GP Dr Jonathan Leach, said people had been arriving for their coronavirus jabs overnight because of convenience or due to childcare arrangements.

But staffing the centre was "a concern," he added.

Four staff worked through the night on Wednesday to adminster booster jabs

"Some of the most important people are the back-office staff - some of the people who drive the vans, some of the people who look after the IT who support us.

"We're doing well but obviously we could do with more [volunteers]."

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The centre will now operate full time until Christmas Eve.

Site manager Simeon Nunes said: "We've got the staff and the demand seems to be there so it's working really well."

Four medical staff worked to administer the jabs on the first night "but we plan up that to 20, our maximum capacity, which will ramp it up to around 2,400 people each night," he explained.

"All the patients are really grateful for us operating through the night," he added. "We've had cakes, chocolates and donuts brought in for us."