Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has confirmed that the Mass Vaccination Centre at Ysbyty Enfys Bangor will close during the week commencing 5th July, and they will begin vaccinating at Bangor Cathedral instead.

 

Around 250 additional bed spaces were made available at Bangor University’s sports and leisure facility at Canolfan Brailsford which was converted into a temporary hospital in April 2020, to provide beds for patients with COVID-19 symptoms.

Ysbyty Enfys Bangor was designed to be a ‘step down’ site, for patients on their way to recovery from Covid-19, who would not need ventilation or breathing apparatus, but still need some nursing care. The hospital was never used to treat patients and more recently became the regional mass vaccination centre.

A further 600 beds were made available in temporary hospitals at Venue Cymru in Llandudno and Deeside Leisure Centre. The Health Board announced in March that all three temporary hospitals in North Wales will close.

The decommissioning of Ysbyty Enfys Bangor will be completed by September, at which time the facility should be handed back to the University.

Ffion Johnstone, BCUHB Area Director (West), said: “Over the coming weeks a number of changes will be made to vaccination venues.

“The changes will be reflected on our online booking service in due course and will not affect the speed of our vaccine rollout.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the range of partners who have demonstrated such great flexibility and generosity to enable us to protect so many people, so quickly.”

Vaccination Centres:

West Area

  • During the week commencing July 5th, BCUHB will vacate the Mass Vaccination Centre at Ysbyty Enfys Bangor (Brailsford Sports Centre) and begin vaccinating at Bangor Cathedral
  • BCUHB will also begin holding clinics at Arfon Tennis Centre in Caernarfon, which will mainly be held during weekends and the school summer holidays

Central Area

  • BCUHB will stop vaccinating at Ysbyty Enfys Llandudno (Venue Cymru) on 29th July
  • Vaccination clinics will be held at the Optic Centre, St Asaph Business Park, from 13th July, and from Sector House, Argyll Road in Llandudno, from the beginning of August. A number of ad hoc, drop in sessions may also be held at Sector House from 19th July onwards.

East Area

  • Ysbyty Enfys Deeside Mass Vaccination Centre at Deeside Leisure Centre will remain in place until March 2022 to support our COVID-19 vaccination booster programme
  • Following a successful pilot at Broughton Shopping Centre on Sunday, we will hold a range of mobile ‘pop up’ vaccination clinics with large employers in Wrexham and Flintshire over the coming weeks

Vaccination Programme

Almost half a million North Wales residents have now received  a first dose Covid vaccine, while 338,018 have been fully vaccinated.

Ffion Johnstone added: “Take up is currently at least 80 per cent in all age groups above the age of 40 and we are making steady progress in providing first doses to those aged 30-39 (currently 62 per cent take up) and those aged 18-29 (currently 71 per cent take up)

“We want take up to be as high as possible, but are aiming for at least 75 per cent in each eligible age group, in order to achieve a level of community protection which will help us eventually return to normal life.

“To achieve this minimum target, we need to provide a first dose to an additional 10,173 people aged 30-39 and 8,609 people aged 18-29.

“In the coming week we will be writing to approximately 80,000 people who have not received a first dose. This will include those who have previously told us that they do not wish to be vaccinated. We hope that some of these people have changed their mind, because of the new threat posed by the Delta variant.”