Following the announcement late last year that the UK’s vaccination programme would begin, the Club has worked closely with campus partners to ensure that facilities are prepared and ready to enable the smooth roll out and delivery of the vaccination.
As part of the Club’s support, Manchester City has provided access to the Etihad Stadium for the training of nurses and staff who will operate the centre. Alongside this, the Club will support onsite operations for the duration of the vaccination programme.
In April 2020, under the stewardship of Manchester City, a partnership between the Council, NHS and Club was established which saw the Etihad Campus transformed to deliver a wide range of campus activities to respond to the evolving Coronavirus crisis. This included access to facilities, a bespoke centre for rest, relaxation and exercise, site access for click and collect shopping and a drive-through testing centre.
In the months since, the Club continued its support for the NHS holding special summer clinics at the Etihad Stadium which enabled approximately 6,000 children across Manchester to keep up to date with their immunisations.
Commenting on the vaccination centre and the Club’s role throughout the pandemic, Danny Wilson, Managing Director - Manchester City Operations said:
“These past months have been extremely challenging for the people of Greater Manchester and the confirmation that a vaccination centre will open at the Etihad Campus is welcome news for everyone.
“Over recent weeks the Club has worked closely with Campus partners to ensure the NHS has the support it needs to successfully deliver its vaccination programme and we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting Manchester with its long term recovery, as we have sought to do from the earliest days of the pandemic.”
Sarah Price, Chief Officer for the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership said:
“The support from the Etihad Campus and Manchester City has been key to enabling us to set up this service so quickly for the people of Greater Manchester.
“Our local healthcare staff and the team at the Etihad Campus have worked together around the clock to get the site ready to receive the vaccines and ensure that staff are trained and ready to go.
“This is one part of a huge effort to provide the vaccine to thousands of people across Greater Manchester. I am really proud of the work that has happened at a phenomenal pace to ensure that our population will be able to return to some sort of normality”
Jacqui Burrow, Director of Nursing at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group and Programme Director for the GM Vaccination Centre, said:
“We are very proud of what has been achieved in setting up the first vaccination centre in Greater Manchester. This is a significant and positive step forward for us in the fight against Covid-19.
“This would not have been possible without the support from our local system partners in particular Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Trust and Manchester City Football Club, it is a true example of collaborative working at its best.
“I’d like to thank colleagues from across our various organisations who have worked so hard behind the scenes in both clinical and non-clinical teams to enable this centre to get up and running quickly and safely.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Manchester City Council’s executive member for adult health and well-being, said:
“Success in the battle against Covid cannot be achieved by working alone and we are very lucky to have such strong partnerships in the city that can pull together in times of crisis.
“Manchester City’s support in ensuring the Etihad Campus is available as a mass vaccination site represents a significant step to moving back to normality - and a big thanks to the club for their cooperation during the pandemic.”
