NHS CHIEFS say they will do more to support dementia patients getting coronavirus vaccines after one sufferer was said to have been “extremely distressed” when receiving her jab.

Bracknell Forest Council leader Paul Bettison told NHS boss Sarah Bellars about the resident’s ordeal at a meeting of the authority’s outbreak engagement board earlier this week.

He said: “I had a call from a resident this morning who had a fine experience [getting vaccinated].

“But his elderly wife, who was also vaccinated, was extremely distressed.

“She suffers from dementia and they commented he felt he was very lucky he managed to keep his wife in there long enough to have the jab and that it would be helpful for somebody like her if there was a more enclosed area, even if it was only curtain screens, so she could go into a room and feel like she was with just one other person instead of in the middle of a hall with about 80 people in it.

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“This is from a resident who is very worried about how he is going to get his wife in there for a second one [vaccine].”

Ms Bellars, who is the Director of Nursing for East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, suggested there was more that could be done to accommodate for dementia sufferers receiving their vaccines.

She said: “I’m really sorry for your resident’s experience because actually, that is something that we should be able to manage.

“My suggestion for that particular resident is they contact their GP surgery and explain that so we can arrange to do it in a slightly different way.

“Perhaps at the beginning or the end of the clinic, or there should be private areas available in all of the vaccine clinics, so we can do something.

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“We can also talk to the vaccine centres about how we make sure that we’re looking out for that sort of thing.”

This issue came despite latest government data showing Frimley Health NHS had given 86.6 per cent of all over 80s in their patch their first coronavirus vaccine by January 28.

The figures indicate 29,528 over 80s had been given their first injection, with a further 2,965 given their second jab.

A further 41,623 people under 80 years old have been given their first jab by Frimley Health — the NHS Trust which is responsible for East Berkshire and parts of Surrey — with another 1,986 under 80s given their second injection.

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Altogether, Frimley Health had given out 76,102 injections as of January 26.

Bracknell MP James Sunderland celebrated this news in a tweet.

He posted: “Delighted that our superb Frimley Health NHS, which covers Bracknell, Sandhurst & Crowthorne, has now vaccinated 76,102 people, incl. 87% of over 80s. We are on track to meet all targets locally by mid-Feb. Well done & thank you!”