University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is one of seven providers, announced by NHS South West, to be awarded contracts to deliver vaccination outreach services, to improve access for local communities.

The three-year contracts will begin on September 1 2026 and will support communities where vaccination uptake is lower, including areas experiencing higher levels of deprivation and people who may face barriers to accessing routine health services.

Darryn Allcorn, Chief Nursing Officer & Director of Integrated Professions at UHP explained: "We are really pleased to have been chosen to deliver this service to our local population. “Vaccinations are one of the most effective ways to protect people from serious illness and, for many years, we have ran successful local vaccination roll outs.

“This development will enable us to expand the expertise we can offer in this area.

“The outreach service will be able to use local data and insight to see where support is most needed and reach those under-served areas, helping to close the gap in health inequalities."

Dr Georgina Angel, Consultant in Public Health and Screening and Immunisation Lead for NHS England South West said: “Vaccinations save lives.

“Access is not the same for everyone, and some people face additional barriers when engaging with health care and vaccinations.

“These new outreach services are an exciting and significant step forward in bringing services more closely in line with the needs of local communities.

“Building trust and developing stronger relationships is at the heart of service design, improving access and supporting vaccine conversations where it is needed most.”

Seven providers will deliver vaccination outreach services across the South West, aligned to local Integrated Care Board areas.

UHP’s aim is to to provide care, with compassion, wrapped around people’s individual needs

Together with their partners they lead in providing integrated health and care, unlocking better outcomes and reducing inequalities, and develop UHP as a regional specialist centre to improve lives across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall.