A PHARMACIST, says an “army” of pharmacies are ready to help in the roll-out of the coronavirus vaccine.

Pharmacist Umesh Patel, who is also a mentor to Pharmacy students at the University of Sunderland, is backing calls for community pharmacists to play a bigger part in delivering the Oxford-AstraZenica jab.

Mr Patel said: "Community pharmacies are an integral part of NHS and can help deliver the AstraZenica Covid vaccines at very short notice.

"We are an army of 11,000 pharmacies and we can mobilise quite a few across the country within 24 hours’ notice to provide a Covid vaccination service.

"Customers do not need appointment to visit their local pharmacy.”

Mr Patel studied Pharmacy at the University of Sunderland and graduated in 1978.

A year later, he became a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, playing an active part in many local campaigns within his profession.

After opening his first pharmacy in London in 1980, Mr Patel moved to Sunderland 10 years later, where he runs Leema Pharmacy on Tunstall Road.

Mr Patel, was appointed to the University of Sunderland’s Board of Governors in 2012.

Now, he is urging everyone to take the pandemic seriously and to get vaccinated.

Mr Patel added: “This is a deadly disease and does not discriminate anyone in the world young or old.”