Responding to the vaccination planning for people most at risk of catching severe COVID-19 infection, NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said:

"Many of the hospital hubs have received their allocation of the 800,000 and we expect there to be up to 4 million doses in the country by the end of the December.

"The allocation of vaccines is following Joint Committee for Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance. Clearly it's critical to focus on those most at risk who can access the 50 hospital hubs which, at this point, is the over 80s and care home staff. High risk NHS frontline staff will also start to receive the vaccine where it is available.

"It is important that people wait to be contacted by the NHS to have their vaccine. There is a rigorous, large scale exercise already well underway by all the hospital hubs with local partners to identify and contact people who will be first in line. This will help ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible."