Staff at an Aberystwyth surgery are “extremely proud and thrilled” to be administering the Covid-19 vaccine in the community, after the first patients arrived at the surgery this morning.

Ystwyth Medical Group started administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, as part of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, to care home residents as well as to over 80-year-olds in the community this morning.

John Pugh-Jones and Margaret Pugh-Jones were two of the first patients to receive the vaccine.

The surgery held one morning clinic in the surgery today before going to care homes in the afternoon. From next week onwards, the programme is “really kicking off” as the surgery hope to be holding the clinic and visit care homes in tandem.

Practice manager Rhianon Copeland said: “We’re extremely proud and thrilled to be able to deliver this Covid-19 vaccination programme. We’re contacting our over 80-year-olds at the moment, and we’ll be working through them over the next week.

“We held on clinic today, another one will be held next Wednesday, and then another one as soon as we get another batch.

“The patients were absolutely thrilled. And the staff have had such job satisfaction from being able to phone people up and offer them the vaccine. People don’t usually like doctors’ surgeries, but they’re happy they can come in for this!

“We will contact all patients, please don’t ring us asking for an appointment. Housebound patients will be vaccinated in tandem as well.”

Rhianon said the surgery hope to have vaccinated all care home residents and over 80-year-olds by the end of the month: “As long as we can get the deliveries of the vaccine, in the best-case scenario, we hope to have them all vaccinated by the end of January.

“If we can get the next delivery in, there’s nothing stopping us from doing that.”