A specially converted Ford Transit van is being deployed in Essex, helping drive take-up of Covid-19 vaccinations in communities facing access challenges.
The pilot scheme is being run by the NHS in Essex along with Ford and local community health leaders and will see the bespoke vaccination vehicle provide a mobile clinic service for those who might face barriers to accessing traditional healthcare services.
While take-up of the vaccination has been strong in general, it’s lower among some communities facing access challenges; such as those experiencing homelessness, ethnically diverse communities, travelling communities and unregistered patients.
The fully kitted out Transit will help tackle this. It’s designed to bespoke NHS specifications for safe transportation and administration of the vaccine, and will provide a hub for dedicated vaccine clinics in the grounds of churches, mosques and other community venues. GP practices will work together with local community leaders to fill pre-booked appointments.
The bespoke Transit has been converted by West Yorkshire-based specialist vehicle builders Venari Group and brings medical grade refrigeration with WiFi monitoring capability, vaccine transport coolers, a collapsible chair for administering vaccines as well as an integrated tablet for accessing and updating health and vaccination records.
The programme will run as a pilot initially and is likely to expand if successful.
Oliver North, CEO at Venari Group, said: “The departure of the completed vaccination van from our factory on to British roads is something of a historic moment for us. We have worked closely with Ford and the NHS in Essex to create such an important vehicle, which is set to make a big impact in the community.”
