These are the first 50 hospitals in the UK to receive the coronavirus vaccine

The first 50 hospitals to distribute the coronavirus vaccine across the UK in the coming weeks have been announced.

As part of the government’s vaccine rollout plan, the jab will be given to high-risk patients at 50 hospitals initially before it is made available at other hubs.

Patients aged 80 and over who are already attending hospital as an outpatient are first in line to receive the vaccine.

And hospitals have already begun working with care homes to book in appointments for over-80s.

The following hospitals will be the first to administer the vaccine from next week onwards;

• Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

• Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

• North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

• James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust

• Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

• Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

• St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Denmark Hill King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Princess Royal University Hospital Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

• Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust

• Royal Stoke Hospital Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

• University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

• United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

• Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust

• Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

• Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

• The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

• South Tees NHS Trust Wirral University Teaching Hospital

• Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

• Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

• Blackpool Teaching Hospital Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust

• Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

• Wexham Park Hospital

• Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• William Harvey Hospital Brighton And Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

• Royal Sussex County Hospital

• Portsmouth University Hospitals Trust

• Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

• Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

• University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

• Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• North Bristol NHS Trust

The distribution of the vaccine across the UK is being undertaken by Public Health England and the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through systems specially adapted from those used for the national immunisation programmes.

NHS England said staff were working through the weekend to prepare for the launch.

Logistical issues mean there are difficulties in getting the jab to residents, as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used.

The vaccine boxes containing 975 doses will need to be split so that they can be brought to care homes.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kickstart the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history from Tuesday.

Watch: Vaccine to be rolled out across England from Tuesday onwards

“The first tranche of vaccine deliveries will be landing at hospitals by Monday in readiness.

“The NHS has a strong record of delivering large scale vaccination programmes – from the flu jab, HPV vaccine and lifesaving MMR jabs – hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge to protect the most vulnerable people from this awful disease.”

While health secretary Matt Hancock said: “This coming week will be an historic moment as we begin vaccination against COVID-19.

“We are prioritising the most vulnerable first, and over-80s, care home staff and NHS colleagues will all be among the first to receive the vaccines.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure we can overcome significant challenges to vaccinate care home residents as soon as possible too.

“I urge everybody to play their part to suppress this virus and follow the local restrictions to protect the NHS while they carry out this crucial work.”

Watch: What is Long Covid?