GPs on the Llyn Peninsula have joined forces this weekend to set up community vaccination centres to vaccinate more people closer to home.

This weekend centres on the Llyn, Buckley in Denbighshire and North Bridgend have been set up allowing the Pfizer vaccine to be used at a local level, as well as the Oxford AstraZeneca jab.

Previously, the Pfizer vaccine had to be used in Wales’ special mass vaccination centres due to the ultra-low temperatures it needs to be stored at.

But now GPs will deliver the vaccine closer to home, and a group of GP practices on the Llyn have clustered together to deliver 1,000 vaccines this weekend to the most vulnerable in the community.

Dr Eilir Hughes of Ty Doctor in Nefyn described the Llyn cluster as “a herculean effort”.

“In our local community, we’re at least 50 miles away from the nearest main vaccine centre in North West Wales, so as you can imagine there is a real challenge in ensuring that the most vulnerable in our community are vaccinated as soon as possible,” he said.

“I’m proud to say that due to a herculean effort from our amazing admin staff right across our local communities, this weekend, three GP practices are coming together to vaccinate 1,000 elderly patients in two days. This will be an amazing achievement and is testament to the tireless and selfless dedication of our amazing healthcare professionals.

“It’s truly humbling to see our community come together as one, to protect and deliver for our most vulnerable.”

The GP practices involved on the Llyn are Ty Doctor, Nefyn, Meddygfa RhydBach, Botwnnog and Treflan Surgery, Pwllheli.

The community vaccination centres have been set up by health boards as part of the Welsh Government’s Covid-19 vaccination rollout strategy.

The new centres will initially help with vaccinating people over 80 and those with mobility issues in rural communities. It is anticipated around 3,000 people will be vaccinated at the centres across Wales this weekend.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “Vaccination is our top priority so I want to thank all the GP practices right across Wales that are working in unison to set up these new community vaccination centres.

“This enables GPs to use both of the vaccines available to us and will help more people to be vaccinated somewhere that is much closer to home than the large vaccination centres.

“Every week, our vaccination programme speeds up as more centres are opened and more vaccines are available for the small army of healthcare professionals administering vaccines.

“I’d encourage any other GP practices in our rural communities who could work together to get in touch with their health board.

“Seeing the dedication, the selflessness and the tireless work that these communities are undertaking to protect the most vulnerable in our society is truly inspiring. I want to thank all our amazing healthcare professionals and all those working in the NHS in delivering our vaccine rollout.”