Flu and its complications are one of the main reasons that people get admitted to hospital from the care sector, particularly during winter. Therefore, protecting individuals and populations through immunisation programmes is a highly successful public health intervention that saves many lives each year. Influenza kills an average of 8,000 people every year. If more of us get the jab, we are giving ourselves and those we care for, the best protection against an unpredictable virus.
All care staff who have direct contact with residents/clients/patients should have the flu vaccine to help protect vulnerable patients and clients, who may not make a good immune response to their own flu vaccine.
Qualifying Criteria
The award will be given based on the percentage of staff in receipt of a flu vaccine before the end of March 2020. Awards will be presented based upon an uptake as below:
- 70% of staff or above - Gold accreditation
- 60-69% of staff - Silver accreditation
- 50-59% of staff - Bronze accreditation
The process for submitting your application for your award:
As individual organisations will need to self-report your staff flu uptake levels to participate in the scheme, it is important that you capture the following information:
- Organisation name, address and contact details
- number of eligible staff
- number of staff vaccinated
- Percentage of staff vaccinated
- Type of care provider i.e. care home, hospice or domiciliary care
- CQC rating
Please submit the information requested in the six bullet points above via the following email addresses (please note that that there are different email addresses depending upon geographical areas across the North of England).
Applications must be submitted by 31 March 2020.
- Cheshire, Merseyside, Warrington & Wirral - pmonursing@nhs.net
- Cumbria and North East region - nursingandqualitycne.nhs.net
- Greater Manchester - jdflu@nhs.net
- Lancashire & South Cumbria - lancsnursingandquality@nhs.net
- Yorkshire and the Humber - YandH-NursingReturns@nhs.net
Please note that all health and social care staff, wherever they receive their flu vaccine from can be counted in your return.
For further information please contact your respective independent care sector lead below:
- Cheshire, Merseyside, Warrington & Wirral: Suzanne Noon at noon@nhs.net
- Cumbria and the North East: Ken Haggerty and Kathryn Dimmick at haggerty@nhs.net or k.dimmick@nhs.net
- Greater Manchester: Janine Dyson at dyson@nhs.net
- Lancashire & South Cumbria: Annlouise Stephens at annlouisestephens@nhs.net
- Yorkshire and Humber: Gill Ramsden ramsden@nhs.net
A useful leaflet for social care staff can also be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/824680/PHE_flu_immunisation_social_care_staff_leaflet.pdf
