‘So far so good’ was the verdict from Mike Stewart, practice manager at Devon Square Surgery, who was duty manager at Newton Abbot’s vaccination centre last Monday morning.

As people came and went by arrangement at Sherbone House, he added: ‘It’s all been going very smoothly.

‘We’ve had a steady flow of people coming in and the atmosphere is all very relaxed.

‘It’s been challenging putting it together but everyone involved is pleased to have the vaccination centre up and running.’

Every GP practice in Devon is now offering coronavirus vaccine appointments to eligible patients as four more centres opened their doors

Four more GP-led vaccination centres opened in Devon on Friday and Saturday, meaning every practice in the county is offering appointments to eligible patients.

This week, patients in priority groups have been contacted to book appointments at new centres starting at:

n Culm Valley Integrated Centre for Health, Cullompton

n Lords Meadow Leisure Centre, Crediton

n Sherborne House, Newton Abbot

n St Thomas Health Centre, Exeter

Culm Valley began seeing patients on Friday while Newton Abbot and the other two started appointments on Saturday.

Patients are being reminded not to contact their practice about a vaccination but to wait until they are called.

GP practices are working in groups to set up the local vaccination centres, with the four new sites bringing the total across Devon to 20 centres, serving all the county’s surgeries.

Culm Valley Primary Care Network (PCN), which covers Cullompton and Silverton, is giving the vaccine to patients registered with six local GP practices: Blackdown Practice, Bramblehaies Surgery, College Surgery Partnership, Sampford Peverell Surgery and Wyndham House Surgery.

Sherborne House, in Kingsteignton Road, Newton Abbot, which has been specially adapted to be accredited as a vaccination centre, will serve patients from the following surgeries: Devon Square, Albany, Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh, Kingskerswell and Ipplepen, Kingsteignton, Buckland and Cricketfield.

Dr Lucinda Harris, a GP based at Buckland, said: ‘We’re very pleased to have our vaccination site at Sherborne House approved and taking receipt of our first delivery of vaccinations will be very exciting.

‘The practice staff, the local community, Devon Clinical Commissioning Group and especially the vaccination steerage team, have worked tirelessly together to make this a reality.’

Rachael Minty, lead nurse from Bovey Tracey surgery, added: ‘I’m so proud to be part of this programme and it will be fantastic to start getting the people of Newton Abbot and surrounding areas protected against COVID-19.

‘Everyone across the practices involved has been amazing at stepping forward to take on extra roles and duties.’