NHS Highland in U-turn over Covid-19 vaccination withdrawal from Nairn removes need for patients to journey to Inverness

Covid-19 vaccination clinics will be held in Nairn after a change of heart by NHS Highland.

Anger had greeted the health authority’s initial decision to withdraw vaccination services from the town and direct patients to Inverness for their jags.

Earlier in the pandemic, the area’s 16,000 healthcare population was inoculated at the Nairn Healthcare Group’s GP surgery at Nairn Town and County Hospital.

After criticism of the switch to the Eastgate Centre in Inverness from community and political leaders, NHS Highland has instead created a clinic at the Nairn Community and Arts Centre.

Around 2500 people from Nairn have been or will be invited to attend for a booster jags this spring.

The first new clinic will be held at the centre on Wednesday this week (April 20).

Alasdair MacKinnon, NHS Highland’s service manager for vaccinations, said: “Patients in Nairn who have been lettered to attend the Inverness Vaccination Centre can attend a clinic in Nairn on Wednesday, April 20 in the Nairn Community and Arts Centre.

“The clinic is being set-up on the national booking portal, thus giving those members of the public who had booked to an Inverness clinic the opportunity to instead reschedule and book a convenient appointment time at Nairn.”

Further clinics are also planned for Nairn and NHS Highland will update their website when these clinics are confirmed.

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