The opening of a new large vaccination centre for the North East and Cumbria has been announced - and it will be the first of its kind to be located in Northumberland. 

The centre will open its doors on Thursday, May 13 in Hexham.

Hexham Mart Vaccination Centre is the seventh large vaccination site in the region and the site will have the capacity to see up to 800 people per day, vaccine supply permitting.

The decision to open a large new vaccination centre in Hexham was made in conjunction with local NHS partners so that the West Northumberland Primary Care Network, which has so far delivered 60,000 vaccinations, can return to providing core GP services.

The centres, of which there are already six in the region, work with local vaccination services run by groups of GPs working together in Primary Care Networks and services offered by community pharmacies.

In Northumberland, there are currently five community pharmacy sites as well as a Roving Vaccination Service, with more due to be added to NHS England’s National Booking Service.

Professor Neil Watson, Chief Operating Officer for the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme for the North East and Cumbria, said: “This seventh large vaccination centre for the region allows us to carry on this great work with the over 40-year-old age group, so we can get back to a sense of normality as quickly as we can.”

The National Booking Service will now show appointments for Hexham Mart Vaccination Centre. However, residents are being reminded to wait for a letter or text message to invite them to book their vaccine once they are eligible.

The six existing vaccination centres in the region are based at Newcastle’s Centre for Life, Sunderland’s NHS Nightingale Hospital North East, Durham’s Arnison Centre, Darlington Arena, Middlesbrough’s Riverside Station, and Penrith’s Auction Mart.

The full address of the new large vaccination centre is Hexham Mart, Tyne Green, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3SG.