Vaccination teams across Derbyshire have passed the landmark of administering one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

The vaccination programme began on December 8, with an average of more than 6,000 doses per day administered by teams operating out of 27 different sites.

Derbyshire has the highest first dose vaccination rate in the Midlands and the fourth highest in England, having reached more than 71% of the adult population. The only systems in England to reach a greater proportion of adults are Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly.

Derbyshire is the third system in the Midlands to reach the one million mark, and Joined Up Care Derbyshire executive Medical Director Steve Lloyd paid tribute to the efforts of the thousands of people involved.

“This vaccination programme is the biggest ever undertaken by the NHS and its success is a tribute to the efforts of so many people in so many different ways,” he said.

“GPs and practice staff have been right at the forefront, managing the existing workloads while also mobilising to deliver an incredibly successful programme. Staff from all over the system have been involved, putting in countless extra hours to organise and run the whole programme and the vaccination sites themselves.

“Our partners organisations, especially Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, have been vital parts of the programme, providing expertise, staff and facilities to make this all work. So many different organisations have been involved, from the acute hospital trusts to councils, DHU Healthcare and many others.

“The Local Resilience Forum has also been a vital part of the process, providing support and co-ordination at a high level across multiple organisations.”

“A special mention needs to go to the volunteers who have done so many hours, often in difficult circumstances of bad weather or unsociable hours. Their dedication and good will have helped us reach the one million vaccine mark.

“But we need to remember that we still have a long way to go. Hundreds of thousands of people still need to receive vaccinations, including the important second dose, and we still need volunteers and staff to be part of the next phase. We’ve done brilliantly so far, but the job isn’t done yet and we know that significant challenges will lie ahead both in completion of the current phase of this programme and into the future as it potentially becomes a booster programme alongside other routine vaccinations.”