News » Research, Rurality » Local GPs key to vaccination success, COVID report concludes
December 15th 2025
GP-patient relationships have been praised in an evaluation of the Covid-19 vaccine programme in Gloucestershire.
Approaches To Vaccine Delivery: Learning From Gloucestershire ICB’s Covid-19 Vaccine Programme, cites the rural area’s highly localised approach to Covid-19 vaccination, in particular, delivering vaccines in places people knew and felt comfortable in.
Also noted was the ICB's mobile ‘jab van’ to reach those in rural communities or those less able to access services.
Around 30 per cent of Gloucestershire’s 700,000 residents live in rural areas. Logistical challenges of rurality include a mainly dispersed population, and no suitable mass-vaccination venue.
Despite the success of localisation, since the pandemic, vaccine delivery has returned to being one of many competing priorities. Financial incentives have reduced, impacting motivation and resourcing, and there is increased competition for vaccinations and income between pharmacy and GP, says the report.
The review was commissioned by Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and NHS England. The research, analysis and writing were conducted independently by The King’s Fund.
