Chesterfield FC vaccines 'fell within guidelines', concludes NHS report

Six Spireites players and staff received the Pfizer jab at Stubley Medical Centre, Dronfield, in early February.

It led to accusations that they had ‘queue jumped’ and the medical centre received angry calls and threats.

Following the backlash, big-hearted Town fans raised more than £4,000 for the medical centre which was donated to charity.

Chesterfield FC said the players and staff members were asked to attend after the medical centre had ‘exhausted all other viable options’ and so the vaccines ‘did not go to waste’. The club also said most of those who got the jab were vulnerable.

“They had to get there within 15 minutes or it would have gone down the drain," a member of staff at the medical centre staff told the BBC at the time.

Local health body, NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group, launched a probe into the matter and found the actions of the medical centre ‘fell within the guidelines’.

"The review found that a small number of patients who were not at that point in an eligible cohort had been vaccinated,” it said.

“This was done in line with NHS guidance that permits vaccinations for patients outside of the announced cohort in exceptional circumstances.

“The matter is now closed and we continue to be very grateful to staff at the local vaccination service for their significant efforts and success in delivering the vaccination programme to date.”

Chesterfield FC did not want to comment on the findings of the report.