STAFF were “moved to tears” as the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) Covid vaccination site closed its doors to the sound of music after nine months.

The county’s largest vaccination centre closed on the evening of Wednesday September 15, ahead of a proposed move to a site in Kings Park.

Bagpipes and bugles were played as staff bid farewell to the site which has seen more than 124,000 vaccinations given since it opened in January.

A Dorset HealthCare spokesperson said: “We wanted to mark the occasion in a fitting way and moved many of the staff to tears with the performances. It included several tunes played on the cornet and both the early and late shifts being piped out of the vaccination hall with the bagpipes.”

Irene Robinson has been one of the clinical leads at the vaccination centre. She plays the bagpipes internationally and was playing at the cenotaph in Whitehall for ‘Help for Heroes’ during the week.

As well as bagpipes, staff were treated to a performance by Paul Douglas, one of the vaccination programme senior managers, who plays the cornet. He played a jazz version of ‘Little Brown Jug’ after a quick blast of the US reveille and finished with ‘Sunset’.

The last person to be vaccinated at the centre was Alexis George, who was clapped through the hall by staff and volunteers as he went to get his jab.

Kate Harvey, Dorset HealthCare service director, said: It’s been an amazing experience at the BIC – absolutely incredible from start to finish. The team has been exceptional throughout.

“There’s been a real sense of camaraderie both here and with our colleagues across the whole vaccination programme. A huge thank you to everyone who’s been involved, it really has been a special experience.”

The new vaccination centre is now being created in the currently unused Meyrick Ward at Dorset HealthCare’s King’s Park site in Boscombe and is due to open later this month with further details being provided soon.

People can still get their vaccinations at community pharmacies and at GP networks.