THE ‘health village’ at Beales is now offering Covid-19 vaccines as health chiefs ramp-up the booster  programme. 

Patients are able to reserve a time slot at the appointment-only clinic in the Dolphin Centre, Poole through the NHS national booking website for appointments into the new year. 

Tony Brown, chief executive of Beales, said: “The space was already allocated to the diagnostics centre but we had a discussion with the NHS on Monday last week when the push for boosters went out.

“We agreed that it would be sensible to use our building, not just for the diagnostics but also for the booked vaccinations as part of the overall bid by the hospital.

“It’s easy to get to, it’s in the warm, you’ve got the car park, the railway station and the bus station etcetera, so it seemed the sensible thing to do. 

“We are delighted and proud to be able to support that effort,” added Mr Brown.

“We’ll be there for as long as they need us to be there.”

Benefiting from its central Poole location, the Beales clinic is easily accessible and gives patients the opportunity to fit their jab in with their lives by grabbing a coffee or having a shop before or after.

READ MORE: NHS hospital clinic in Beales store welcomes first patients

READ MORE: NHS centre at Beales in Poole could be followed by more clinics in shopping centres

Mr Brown said: “It’ll make a big difference, especially to the older generation who will be able to mooch around the shopping centre before and after.

“It becomes less of a daunting aspect and the whole thing becomes more relaxing  when it’s  in an environment you’re used to. 

“We’re delighted to be doing the whole thing anyway, with the diagnostic centre, but retail needs to adapt to all these things and we’re helping everyone adapt to it.”

More than 100 patients attended breast-screening, dermatology and ophthalmology appointments at the new NHS outpatients assessment clinic in Poole’s Dolphin Centre when it officially opened its doors on Thursday.

The clinic has been set up to tackle the huge backlog in waiting lists that have built up during the pandemic.

The initiative is part of the local NHS Think Big programme to transform how and where services are delivered, post pandemic.