Bedford residents "let down" as one of the town's vaccination centres closes due to supply shortage

The town's MP and mayor have hit out at the Government after one of the town's vaccination centres was forced to close for a week.

According to the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the centre at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Temple in Queen’s Park will will not be offering appointments from today (Monday) through to Sunday next week.

One reader - Jacky Turvey - said: "I thought Matt Hancock promised to correct the balance in his statement last week. Friends and relatives around the country in their 70s have already had their jab while our over 80s are still waiting."

While another - Patrick Ayre - added: "Bedford had already been hit and missed out on the entire first tranche of vaccine allocation, so this must be a heavy blow."

The news comes as cases in Bedford climb to 11,032 as of yesterday with 353 deaths recorded.

Bedford MP Mohammad Yasin has also written to the health secretary, demanding answers.

He said: "Bedford and Kempston residents are being left to wait, whilst the Covid-19 case rate is alarmingly high.

"To add to this, today's news that Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group were not able to procure the vaccine doses required for the week ahead, will only continue to exacerbate the growing concerns that residents of Bedford and Kempston are being badly let down. This must stop."

The mayor Dave Hodgson added: “I am bitterly disappointed with the lack of vaccines in Bedford borough which has led to the Gudwara in Queen's Park temporarily closing this week.

"Staff, volunteers and residents are ready for these vaccinations to take place, but these have not been able to do so due to what has been described to me as a ‘lumpy supply’ issue.

“We have asked for our fair share of the vaccine and I have written to the minister of vaccine deployment to discuss the issue. Our residents are being let down."

Though he added: “The vaccine centre at King's House on Ampthill Road remains open and I understand the Gudwara will reopen as soon as it receives more vaccines. We should continue to stay at home as much as possible and if you have to go out to follow the 'hands, face, space' advice to protect each other and stop the spread of the virus.”

Bedford Today has approached the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group for comment.