Scott Kennedy-Lount asks why Leicester Hospitals are omitted from the COVID-19 vaccine programme
On the morning it was reported in various news outlets Leicester hospitals are not part of the COVID-19 vaccination hubs, local party member Scott Kennedy-Lount has written to Shadow Health Secretary, Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth to investigate why the city has been omitted from the programme.
In the correspondence Scott has noted other NHS Trusts in the region are placed on the vaccine programme.
Acknowledging the vast majority of residents in the City have followed the guidelines to the letter, infection numbers have fallen in the city since the latest national lockdown introduced on Bonfire Night, however numbers of infection remain unfortunately above the national average.
Scott would like following answers:
1) Why Leicester hospitals have been omitted from the list?
2) What criteria has been used by the Conservative Government in creating the list of 50 hospital trusts to begin the vaccination programme?
3) At what number of infections Leicester will be placed into a lower tier?
4) What message does this omission give to our excellent hospital staff in our county when only a few months ago Leicester hospital staff were recognised as being one of the best Trusts at handling the pandemic?
Leicester has suffered a succession of bad press during the summer months, with the alleged exposure of sweatshop businesses, further by our Labour local elected representatives having to publicly apologise for various COVID-19 breaches and motoring offences, there was earlier this week some hope of a potential beginning of the end of this nightmare by being on the original COVID vaccine list.
One could interpret the Conservative Government are being spiteful against the residents, businesses and Healthcare workers in the city of Leicester. Many people I speak to have often said Leicester has been forgotten by the Conservative Government since the further restrictions in the city were placed in June. This omission is the latest "kick in the teeth."