QUIET areas are being introduced at Covid vaccination sites around the county to help people feel more comfortable having their jab.

From next Thursday (January 20), SW Healthcare is piloting dedicated quiet hours and women's hours at its centres.

Quiet Hours will support patients with autism spectrum or sensory processing disorders, learning difficulties, and anyone else who feels they would benefit from a calm vaccination environment.

Women's Hour will provide a service for women who feel more comfortable getting vaccinated in a safe, secure women-only space.

A spokesman for SW, which runs the vaccination centres across Worcestershire, said: "We hope these new services will make it easier for patients to come forward for their first, second and booster vaccinations."

The quiet hours will be piloted at HoW College and St Peter's Church in Worcester, the Three Counties Showground in Malvern and the Artrix in Bromsgrove.

Women's hours will be run at the same sites.

In addition to these, there will also be after-school sessions running from 3pm to 5pm next week to allow people between the ages of 12 and 15 to be vaccinated after school.

Adding to the rollout, community vaccinators are visiting community hubs across Worcester including the Ronkswood Hub and Dines Green Den.

The community vaccinator will be at the Dines Green Den from 9am until 4pm on Monday and Tuesday next week (January 17 and 18).

They will be able to offer vaccines on a drop-in basis, but will also do their best to visit local patients if they are unable to get to the hub to help them get their jabs.

Finally, for patients with a particular need for it, AstraZeneca clinics are being run on January 17 at HoW College and January 31 at the Artrix.

Patients can book by emailing swhealthcare.theartrix@nhs.net with their name, phone number, NHS number if they have it, the dose they need and their preferred site.

For more information about all these initiatives, go to www.swhealthcare.org.uk/