GP Care Group board member, Dr Jackie Applebee, has featured in iNews.co.uk to talk about her experience of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Tower Hamlets.
In the article, Dr Applebee spoke about being a GP in east London since the 90s and her pride in the local GP workforce who pull together and work effectively for the local population. A good example of this is how healthcare workforces have come together to ensure that as many local residents as possible are vaccinated quickly. She said: "This is a huge logistical challenge. Thousands of vaccines are delivered at a time and must be used up within days. It is often difficult to reach the elderly and vulnerable at short notice, but it is testament to General Practice that we are on target."
Touching on her experience of working in the vaccination centre, Dr Applebee shared the buzz of being properly patient facing again after so many months, an experience that has allowed her to meet a wide range of local residents. "I have met an elderly man who has spent lockdown writing Grime music. Bangladeshi and Somali septuagenarians take selfies, as the needle goes in, to post on social media. They are determined to encourage their communities, most at risk of bad outcomes from Covid-19, that to be immunised is a good thing."
She rounds of the article by extolling the benefits of using existing local infrastructure to deliver services, which can be attributed to the general success of the vaccine programme. Dr Applebee said: "… one thing is painfully clear; when it comes to delivering health services, public over private is better every time."
