Council Leaders highlight concerns to Health Secretary about lack of transparency over vaccination rollout for the county

Following a meeting of Lincolnshire Outbreak Engagement Board (LOEB), the Leaders of the county council and district councils have sent a joint letter to The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, about the lack of information from the NHS on local delivery plans for the Covid vaccines.

The letter from Councillor Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council and Chair of LOEB, on behalf of all the county’s leaders, reads:

Dear Secretary of State,

I am writing to you in my capacity as Chairman of Lincolnshire Outbreak Engagement Board with the support of all Local Authority Leader’s in Lincolnshire.

We have been impressed by the proactive work of local NHS colleagues with the early delivery of both the Pfizer and Astra Zeneca vaccines to the local population.

This puts Lincolnshire in a very good starting position for the vital work of getting the population protected so that hopefully, we can finally put the problems behind us.

As Local Government, we are very keen to support Lincolnshire NHS to continue their good work but also help with local messages of support and clarification. However, this support is very much being constrained by national edicts which are apparently preventing local managers from sharing details of their local delivery plans with us.

As you are well aware, there will be an understandable demand from the public to understand when and where they can expect their vaccinations and to attempt to cover the plans in a veil of secrecy makes no sense to them or us and will only undermine confidence and patience locally.

I think everyone understands that plans can change and delivery sometimes fall short of expectation but the answer surely must be clarity and transparency so the public at least understand the challenges and ambition and will then be supportive and understanding.

I hope that you will be able intervene and remove this unfortunate blockage.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Martin Hill OBE

Leader of Lincolnshire County Council