SOME 236 people received their first or second coronavirus vaccine jabs during a drop-in clinic at Barnard Castle’s Richardson Hospital last week.
This is more than 50 extra people that would normally be injected in the usual four-hour long clinics.
A queue of between ten and 15 people at any one time lined up outside the hospital between 4pm and 8pm on Thursday.
Barnard Castle Surgery practice manager Margaret Taube-Brown said: “It was excellent. We were quite surprised by the amount of people who turned up.”
She added that 180 of those who arrived were booked appointments, while 56 were people over 18s who attended the drop-in after responding to invitations put out on social media.
She added that many of the people who attended were from out of the local area.
Ages ranged from 18 to 40, with 32 of those who attended the drop in getting their first jab.
Many of those who arrived were surprised how quickly they were injected after joining the queue.
Ms Taube-Brown said: “We were really pleased with it. It is amazing how fast it goes.”
One of those who received their second jab was 34-year-old Ingleton resident Toni Upton who commended the clinic for its efficiency.
She said: “You just feel a little more protected and it helps protect other people as well.”
Drop-in as well as bookable appointment clinics will be held at the hospital on Thursday, July 22, from noon to 8pm, and on Saturday, July 24, between 8.30am and noon.
