DUDLEY South MP Mike Wood has praised the "great work" being done by health chiefs, medics and volunteers to get the new Covid-19 vaccination centre up and running at the Black Country Living Museum.

The new coronavirus vaccine site for the West Midlands opened yesterday (Monday January 25) after weeks of planning and it is expected to be able to offer thousands of vaccines per week.

Dudley South MP Mike Wood was among elected representatives invited to see the facility as it got up and running and he said afterwards: “It’s been fantastic seeing how well organised everything is and the great work that has been done by the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to set up this brilliant facility.

"This site will be doing a thousand vaccines per day, meaning they can offer seven thousand vaccines each week to the most clinically vulnerable people.

"This is on top of all the other vaccination centres around the borough – making sure that all of those on the priority list can be vaccinated as quickly as possible.

"Again, people don’t need to contact their GP or do anything until they’re invited for an appointment – but, once people do get that letter or call from their GP, I would strongly encourage them to make their appointment and come along to sites like this which are doing such a fantastic job."

People in vulnerable categories who have not yet received invites from their GP will be receiving a letter from the National NHS Booking Service to invite them to have a jab at the new vaccination site or another large vaccination centre.

Appointments will only be available to people once they have received a letter. They can then be booked online at nhs.uk/covid-vaccination, or by calling 119.

People are urged not to call the museum directly to try to book and not to turn up without an appointment.

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, Dudley Council's cabinet member for health and adult social care, has strongly advised people to take up the offer of a vaccine when invited but in the meantime he urged people to continue to do all they can to keep themselves and loved ones safe from Covid.

He said: “We have always said we will beat this, and we are getting closer to that day. But we still need to remain vigilant.”