Health chiefs have defended the steps they are taking to make it easier for people in Swindon to be protected against Covid.

Questions were asked at the last meeting of the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group about the provision of services in the town.

One compared Swindon unfavourably to Weston-super-Mare, where there are vaccination centres in Boots store and the Winter Gardens.

The questioner suggested centres should be set up in Boots or at Broadgreen. “Twenty per cent of Swindon don’t have access to a car, yet all of our centres including the two pharmacies are in outlying areas. Also the hospital centre is far away from the town centre.”

The CCG said in response: “With regards to SN1 specifically, there are a wide range of vaccination sites within Swindon, including the Great Western Hospital, STEAM museum, and two pharmacies - Avicenna Pharmacy in Guildford Avenue and Home Farm Pharmacy in Highworth.

“Community pharmacies are commissioned by NHS England and so while we are able to request pharmacies to come forward in any particular area, it is up to each individual pharmacy or company to offer their services in any particular pharmacy. We have also organised repeat visits to several homeless shelters and hostels to provide vaccinations for the traditionally ‘hard to reach’ populations. We work with our public health colleagues to provide further clinics wherever possible to ensure all patients have access to their vaccination. As well as the vaccination centres, we have provided our outreach vaccination services in the SN1 area on several occasions to provide a walk-in vaccination service to our most vulnerable individuals.”