Banbury area residents urged to make use of town centre vaccination centre over the next week - walk in patients welcome

The clinic is open daily from 10am - 5pm until January 12. A decision will be taken on the final day whether to extend until January 14.

"This is a fantastic facility. The more people that use it, the more chance the NHS will extend the deadline so I urge anyone to book an appointment or walk in for a booster or their first/second jabs," said Cllr Kieron Mallon, Leader of Banbury Town Council.

The centre opened after Banbury Town Council persuaded health authorities that a local vaccination clinic was a necessity for families who rely on public transport.

Without such an accessible facility those wanting jabs faced journeys of 20 miles or more.

The council offered a number of buildings in Banbury and the NHS decided the town hall was the most accessible option. The council-owned sports pavilion at Hanwell Fields is already being used as a covid test centre.

The town hall clinic is operating through appointments which can be booked through the NHS national booking service and is also available for walk-in patients.

Town councillors are taking turns to be volunteer helpers at the clinic to make sure the operation runs smoothly.

Mr Mallon said: “The town council was concerned that residents were forced to travel over 20 miles for a jab. We were hearing that some people were missing out on vaccines because they couldn’t make the journey.

“We approached the NHS and offered some of our buildings and the central location was what they wanted. The facility could be a life-saver for those who might have gone without booster vaccines because of travel difficulties.

“The centre runs very efficiently. There are no long queues and I urge people to use it while it is open," said Mr Mallon.