In her day job, pharmacist Ramandeep Kaur (above) leads our Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration project, she also does a shift each month in our Vaccination Hub at King George Hospital, as a way to give back after spending 142 days shielding during the pandemic due to her arthritis.

She said: “I find it really inspiring to see everyone working together, myself, our pharmacy technicians, vaccinators, healthcare assistants, operational and security colleagues, to give everyone their vaccines. It’s got a family feel.”

Having done shifts at the hub for over six months, Ramandeep, who joined our Trust in July 2020 from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, noticed a real difference during a recent shift on Saturday 18 December, when the new variant, Omicron, was spreading quickly, and the booster campaign was in full swing.

She added: “We had over 800 people come for their vaccines. It was really busy but really good seeing people come – it was positive to see that people had listened to the national message and wanted to get their booster.”

Around 150 vaccines were also given on the day at a pop-up clinic, supported by Ramandeep’s colleague, pharmacist Kalpana Patel, who has worked in our Vaccination Hub since it first opened.

The role of a pharmacist in the hub is to ensure vaccines are ready to be given by our vaccinators, answer clinical queries for colleagues, and crucially provide advice and reassurance to patients, something which was in demand during her most recent stint.

She said: “We had lots of queries, from pregnancy to allergies and what it means if you’ve recently had the virus. We completely understand that some people still have concerns and find it really encouraging that they’re seeking advice in the right place.

“I found people really welcoming the advice and guidance I could give them. We’ve also introduced a fast-track system for vulnerable people, and those with additional needs, which everyone was really grateful for.”

Pharmacy technician Ayyaz Peerani supported Ramandeep in the hub on the day. The technician role includes helping to prepare vaccines, as well as overseeing stock and supply to keep the hub running smoothly.

Having the vaccine is the best thing you can do to protect yourself from all variants of Covid-19, and you can book online.