Westfield turns vacant unit into vaccination hub

A vacant retail outlet in Westfield shopping centre Stratford has been turned into Covid-19 vaccination centre. 

The vaccination centre will be run by East London NHS Trust Foundation and will see health care workers administering the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine – and is one of hundreds of nationwide centres set up to deliver the public vaccination programme.

Dr Paul Gilluley, East London NHS Foundation Trust’s chief medical officer stated that it has “mammoth project to get the Westfield Covid Vaccination Centre up and running in a matter of weeks but staff have come together to make it a success”.

Westfield shopping centre first opened in Stratford in 2011 and is one of the largest retail outlets in Europe.

Scott Parsons, UK chief operating officer Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: “Westfield Stratford City is delighted to be able to donate space to the NHS to create a large scale vaccination centre in the heart of Newham.

“The service will be a huge benefit to our local community which has been particularly hard hit by the current crisis. I’m very proud of our onsite team who has worked hard to support the delivery of the centre which launches to the public on Monday following two weeks of operation for NHS staff. “

He added: “This follows the successful collaboration we have had with the NHS on the Plasma Donor Centre at Stratford as well as the Hammersmith & Fulham Rapid Flow Testing Centre at Westfield London and we are very happy to assist with the rollout of the vaccination programme.”