Vaccination Heroes: Estates Team

We have talked about a few of the different teams who have worked tirelessly to deliver vaccinations to the public at our Mass Vaccination Centres over the past few weeks.

But what about the centres themselves? We certainly didn’t have three Mass Vaccination Centres in Powys last November. They seem to have appeared as if by magic almost overnight! But of course, the truth is that they were built at very short notice by the health board’s extremely talented Estates Team.

In Bronllys, Builth Wells and Newtown they have converted empty spaces to quickly become clinical vaccination centres. Each location had it’s own challenges; from upgrading electrics, installing IT infrastructure, building covered walkways, installing wayfinding signage, installing flooring, heating and lighting and of course building the vaccination lanes, admin hubs and reception areas, the Estates Team have been flexible and have adapted to the myriad challenges they have been presented with.

Carpenter Gareth Davies (though everyone knows him as ‘Gaz’) explained “Everywhere needed different things. In Builth Wells at the Showground we had to put up 30-40 banner signs just to help people find their way even before they get to the vaccine centre for traffic control. Then in some locations we had to install additional plumbing for new sinks. There were a team of about 8 of us carrying this all out.”

The Newtown Mass Vaccination Centre is the largest of the three in Powys. With 12 lanes it can vaccinate huge numbers of people at a time. The team took just six days to convert it from an empty shell to a fully operational vaccination centre.

Gaz meant it as a joke when he quipped “We did the impossible”. But I don’t think he was wrong.

Well done and thank you.