A CHRISTCHURCH GP surgery will be among the first to vaccinate patients against coronavirus when it operates mass clinics in its car park tomorrow.

Eligible patients at the Stour Surgery in Barrack Road will be vaccinated from 1pm tomorrow and Thursday and they have been warned it will be "incredibly busy."

Practice managers have stressed that patients aged 80 and over will be offered vaccinations first and the programme will continue over the coming weeks in age order.

A further 76 coronavirus cases recorded in Dorset in 24 hours

A spokesman said: "We will be holding mass coronavirus vaccination clinics. The practice and the car park is going to be incredibly busy. We therefore kindly ask that where possible, all patients avoid attending the surgery during this time and contact us via telephone or email.

"Over the coming weeks, we will begin to invite patients to book in for their Covid vaccine. Please do not contact us – if you fall into an eligible category, you will be called in as soon as there is enough vaccine available. The vaccine will be offered in age order. We will be starting with patients aged over 80 years old."

The spokesman said most people will have to wait until the new year and added: "It will take some time to vaccinate everyone who is eligible. Work is under way to prepare for the roll-out and good progress is being made."