Over the weekend, I was pleased to be invited to see the Covid-19 vaccination operation that is well underway at Chipping Norton Health Centre.

It was incredibly positive to see the speed and efficiency of the team who are able to vaccinate hundreds of people an hour. This pioneering site was the first vaccine hub to get underway in West Oxfordshire at the very start of the national rollout in December, and it was soon joined by the hub at the Windrush Health Centre in Witney. I am pleased to report that a further local site is due to go live at Carterton Health Centre later this week.

The local rollout is going tremendously well and the programme will continue to accelerate in the coming days and weeks. It is also great to hear that uptake of the vaccine is high, and I want to reassure local residents that the vaccine is safe and encourage everyone invited to come forward and get vaccinated. With every vaccination our country gets closer to overcoming this pandemic.

The NHS is also encouraging people to be patient and to wait to be contacted for their vaccination. I am assured that all local residents in the relevant priority groups who are registered with a GP surgery in Oxfordshire will be invited for a vaccination as soon as possible.

Finally, I want to pay tribute once again to our local NHS staff and systems - and the hundreds of local volunteers - who are working tirelessly, with extraordinary enthusiasm, to protect local residents and get our country through this pandemic.