Norfolk’s Community NHS Trust are in full swing getting their flu vaccinations

With the flu season upon us once again, staff from Norfolk’s Community NHS Trust are in full swing getting their flu jabs, as the Trust’s campaign kicked off last week.

Chief Executive, Roisin Fallon-Williams said: “We encourage all of our staff to have their flu vaccination. It is something we can all do to protect ourselves, our families and our patients.

“Nurses form the largest body of staff within the NHS, and as such, can make the biggest impact in preventing the spread of flu. Every member of staff is vital to the Trust, but perhaps more so in winter when services are under pressure.”

The Trust is signed up to the NHS Flu Fighter campaign and offers free flu jabs to all of it’s workforce. Clinics will be running over the next 11 weeks covering a number of sites across Norfolk and Suffolk.

According to NHS Employers vaccination uptake in healthcare workers with direct patient care continues to increase. A total of 541,000 frontline healthcare workers were vaccinated between 1 September 2014 and 28 February 2015 – that’s 54.9 per cent and 7,000 more staff than last year.

Daniel Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said:

“Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is among those organisations in the UK that are leading the way for a change of perception around NHS employee flu vaccinations. Ideally, we want to see seasonal flu vaccinations become commonplace in the NHS. More than a million people use the NHS every 36 hours, many who are vulnerable to flu, so it’s great to see the majority of NHS staff can find the time in their busy days to seek out these voluntary vaccinations.”

For more information about the national NHS flu fighter campaign, including myth busters and frequently asked questions, visit: www.nhsemployers.com/flu