GP surgeries in Wyre Forest will start contacting people about booking the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccination on Monday, February 22.

Patients who had their first jabs on the week beginning December 14 will be the first to be contacted next week.

These people are among the district's oldest patients, so families are being asked to let older relatives know to expect a phone call, and to remind them that their GP will never ask for financial information.

In an update on social media, Wyre Forest Health Partnership (WFHP) said: "The WFHP team has now given approximately 19,500 Covid vaccinations from our two sites in Stourport and Kidderminster, and we have really appreciated the positive feedback which we have received.

"Our text appointment system which I’ve described previously has worked really well. Thank you to everyone who has booked their appointment this way.

"From Monday, February 22, we will start contacting those patients who were vaccinated week beginning December 14 for their second vaccination.

"As these are amongst our oldest patients, we will be ringing them so please let your relatives, who are patients of ours, know to look out for our call, and remind them we never ask for financial information.

"The government has now said that any people aged 65 to 70 who have not had their first vaccination are to be invited by government letter to book an appointment at the mass vaccination sites, whilst general practice has been told to concentrate instead on cohort six.

"We are now inviting cohort six, using the medical conditions criteria as laid out in the Green Book.

"We aim to invite Bewdley Medical Centre and Stourport Medical Centre patients to the Stourport Surgery, and Church Street, Kidderminster Medical Centre and Hagley Surgery patients to the Kidderminster Medical Centre for their vaccination.

"When we get vaccine at short notice, or we are running a large clinic, or there is capacity in some of the clinics we may move from this in order to get patients an appointment more quickly.

"The current expectation is that patients attend for their second dose at the same place where they had their first in order to ensure adequate vaccine supply. This will apply to those who chose to attend one of the mass vaccination sites rather than our surgery Covid clinics.

"So it’s an update of reassurance really that systems are in place, and all the teams are still working really hard to get our patients vaccinated as soon as we are able.

"In the meantime, please help us by wearing a mask when coming to our surgeries, and continue to observe the hands face space rules."