The team that provided more than 100,000 Covid-19 vaccinations in Barking and Dagenham at the height of the pandemic is in the running for a national award.
The borough’s GP Federation, Together First CIC, led the vaccination effort on behalf of the NHS, working closely with local surgeries, partners within the local health and care system, Barking and Dagenham council, community and faith groups and volunteers.
In recognition of its efforts, it has been selected as a finalist at the annual General Practice Awards, with the winners due to be announced next week (Friday 9 December).
After launching its vaccination service in January 2021, the federation provided 104,000 jabs in 16 months. Although most were delivered at GP surgeries and at the mass vaccination sites it set up in the borough, the total also included: 2,100 people vaccinated in their own homes, nearly 600 homeless people and more than 4,000 people with learning disabilities or serious mental illness, some of whom could not be seen in clinics.
The federation also used innovative ways to encourage people to come forward among those communities where Covid-19 vaccine take-up was lower. These included running post-dusk Ramadan clinics and using local engagement campaigns to target specific groups, such as Eastern European younger people and school-age children.
As well as providing translation materials, the federation used trusted figures and leaders from across the community to help target hard-to-reach groups, with some being vaccinated in public. Along with multi-lingual videos that explained the benefits of getting vaccinated, these activities saw uptake increase significantly – helping the federation win a NHS Safeguarding Star award for its work with those who are often left behind.
Additionally, more than 200 volunteers signed up to be community champions in Barking and Dagenham, helping more people get the jab who otherwise might not have done.
Craig Nikolic, Chief Operating Officer at Together First CIC, said: “We are delighted to be nominated for this award – it’s recognition of the tremendous team effort that went into the planning, preparation and delivery of our Covid-19 vaccination service.
“When we started providing vaccinations, we quickly realised that we had over-representation from some parts of our population but by working with our local partners, we ensured that we had the widest reach across all of our communities.
“Using the valuable learning we’ve gained, we will continue to find innovative ways to support our work to reduce health inequalities in Barking and Dagenham.” Together First CIC has been shortlisted in the Vaccination Service of the Year category of the 2022 General Practice Awards, with the winners due to be announced in London on 9 December. For more information, visit the General Practice Awards website
