CREWE'S Leighton Hospital passed a 40,000 jab milestone this week.

The hospital team is celebrating the landmark figure for Covid-19 vaccines - which they hit on Monday - after launching the vaccination programme on December 29 last year with the initial aim to vaccinate 7,000 people.

Staff have managed to vaccinate more than five times that figure in just over four months. So mangers at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust brought together past and present members of the vaccination team, as well as staff who have supported them, for a virtual thank you event.

Clinical Supervisor Steph Scholes said: "It's been absolutely astronomical to be part of the programme. To have completed so many vaccinations in such a short time shows just what we can do as the NHS and what Leighton Hospital and the community team is capable of."

Director of Strategic Partnerships Denise Frodsham added: "This milestone highlights the incredible efforts made locally to rollout the Covid-19 vaccination programme, which is the biggest in the history of the NHS."

Staff from across Mid Cheshire Hospitals and Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCCIP), including nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other health care professionals, stepped forward to administer the vaccine at Leighton, while the programme has been supported by administrators and volunteers.

A community outreach team has helped to vaccinate housebound patients and care home residents.

Leighton Hospital's vaccination centre is part of a wider effort to protect people against coronavirus and has complemented GP, mass vaccination and pharmacy-led services.

A new pharmacy-based site is due to open at Willaston.

Appointment slots are available through the national booking system.

People aged 40 and above who haven't had their vaccination can book here or call 119 anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

• New Covid testing sites have opened up at Crewe Alex. People without coronavirus symptoms can pre-book lateral flow test appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the stadium (9am to 6pm)

The benefits of taking a lateral flow test is they help to protect loved ones and work colleagues, reduce hospital admissions, while the results are received within an hour.

You can book a lateral flow test here.

Meanwhile, a mobile pop-up service offering a walk-in collection service for symptom-free home testing kits was trialled at Crewe's Asda last week and other pop-up services are being trialled at the town's Tesco and Morrisons stores later this month.

A Swab Squad is on hand at the mobile units to offer advice and information about how to carry out the tests.