The council's health chief has thanked "amazing" health service employees after the opening of a new NHS Vaccination Centre at The Stoop in Twickenham.

The large-scale site at the Harlequins rugby ground will deliver its first protective jabs to patients from today (Thursday, February 4) and is capable of hosting social distanced vaccine delivery to thousands ofpeople each week.

The centre will offer a convenient addition to GP-led and hospital services that are already successfully delivering vaccinations across South West London.

Letters are being sent to people aged over 80 who have not yet had or been invited for the Covid-19 vaccination, inviting them to book an appointment either by phone or online through the national booking system. If an appointment has already been offered by the GP, please keep that appointment.

Other groups of people should wait until they receive their invite letter and should not call their GP but rather use the booking line, when their invite arrives.

Cllr Piers Allen, chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, attended a socially distanced visit to the new centre before it opened with council leader Gareth Roberts, to view the facilities and thank colleagues at the rugby ground.

He said: "It is great to see this site in Twickenham is now open and able to offer even more vaccinations to the most vulnerable patients in the area. I would like to thank all the amazing NHS staff, colleagues at the Stoop and the army of volunteers who have helped to set up the site and will keep it running over the coming months.

"Like everyone else, I am eager to have the vaccine. But we all have to wait our turn. We continue to remind people waiting to hear when they will have their vaccine, please do NOT contact your GP but wait for the NHS to contact you.

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"I know that Covid-19 continues to be hugely worrying for many people. However, this vaccination programme roll out is extremely complex. Our local GPs continue to work incredibly hard to ensure that our most vulnerable patients are protected as soon as possible. We need everyone to be patient and continue to follow all the safety guidance to protect yourself, your loved ones and your NHS services."

More vaccination centres will be launched in SW London in the coming weeks to increase the numbers of people who can be conveniently vaccinated each day.

The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in the health service's history, is being delivered as health service staff are treating record numbers of seriously ill patients with the coronavirus, caused by the rapidly rising infection numbers in recent weeks.

Please don't contact the NHS to seek a vaccine; the NHS will contact you. When you are contacted, please attend your booked appointments. And whether you have had a vaccine or not, please continue to follow all the guidance to control the virus and save lives – that means staying at home as much as you can, and following the 'hands, face, space' guidance when you can't.

People who book into a vaccine centre should note marshals will be on hand to help people to the right place.

Bookings are staggered to allow social distancing and people are asked not to arrive until five minutes before their appointment time. Travel information will be available from Monday on the TfL website.

Visit the council website for more information about the vaccine.