Birmingham and Nottinghamshire trusts offer 24-hour Covid vaccines

Two hospital trusts are among the first in the country to begin offering a 24/7 Covid vaccination programme.

University Hospitals Birmingham and Nottinghamshire's Sherwood Forest Hospitals trusts have been chosen to pilot the round-the-clock jabs from Wednesday.

Currently the standard opening time for vaccination centres is 08:00 to 20:00.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said he aimed to extend the hours when supply allowed it.

The vaccines will be offered to existing high-priority groups, including those aged over 80 and front-line health and social care workers.

A spokeswoman for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are looking at further options to provide all health and social care staff across Birmingham and Solihull the opportunity to be vaccinated at a time that suits them.

"From tonight we will be opening up a number of vaccination appointment slots specifically for our night staff, between 6pm and 8am.

"These will be rolled out site by site at QEHB (Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham), Heartlands and Good Hope hospitals into the weekend."

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has also been approached for comment.

The government announced on Monday people in England in their 70s, and those listed as clinically extremely vulnerable, will begin receiving offers of a vaccine this week.

It is aiming to vaccinate all 15 million people in the top four priority groups by 15 February.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said every adult in the UK will have been offered a vaccine by autumn.

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