Vaccinating the NHS front line

NHS Employers, the organisation responsible for negotiating pay and terms and conditions in the NHS and promoting good people management practice, has launched the first ever national NHS staff flu vaccination campaign. It is supported by the Department of Health and NHS trade unions such as Unison, the BMA and the Royal College of Nursing.


The campaign started in September when NHS trusts throughout England were filled with lively posters, guides and other resources aimed at helping and encouraging more NHS staff to get flu vaccinations and to become ‘Flu Fighters’. Also, the campaign has been helping trusts to plan and prepare for the flu season for many months.

LOOKING AFTER STAFF
Vaccinations are extremely important to ensure a safer environment in the NHS. Over 600 people died from flu in the UK last year and there is strong evidence that some patients die from flu caught in hospital.

Only one third of front-line NHS staff (34.7 per cent) were vaccinated against flu last year. This was higher than the previous year (26.4 per cent) but it is still far too little to give confidence to vulnerable patients. It needs to increase.

If we are to rely on staff to prepare care, it’s important that we help them look after their own health and well-being. Sickness rates climb during the flu season, so reducing absence through flu vaccination is an important element of maintaining staff health.

The Boorman Review said that £555 million could be saved if current NHS staff absence rates from any cause were reduced by a third through improvements to health and well-being.

However flu’s impact on patient health is the primary concern for the NHS and its staff. This is where Flu Fighters focuses its attention.

 Frontline NHS workers are passionate about patient care and many of them joined the NHS because of their desire to help people. Employers, supported by the campaign, are working hard to encourage staff to be vaccinated to protect them, their patients and their families.


MYTH BUSTING
Like all workplaces there is some myth busting to do. Our research shows that staff give a number of reasons for not having jabs. Some worry that having a jab will make them sick and unable to perform their role. Others worry that it will temporarily give them virulent, live flu that they could pass on to patients.

These concerns are based on myths, not facts, and need to be dispelled. Flu vaccinations actually cause only minimal symptoms and are very safe and effective.

This campaign is slamming the myths with its posters and other resources that can be found throughout staff areas in the NHS in England. Employers are lending their support to these important messages even if this means explaining to some staff that their beliefs about flu are wrong.

Some staff also say they didn’t get vaccinated before because it was difficult to find the time during busy work days. The campaign has been giving advice and examples of best practice to HR directors, flu leads and other key staff to help them make it more convenient to get the jab. This is especially important for staff who may not work centrally.

COMMUNICATION
Innovation is essential to help get the message out. To staff the campaign is helping trusts to experiment with a wide range of communications, many of which were used with great success by the North West SHA’s flu campaign last year.

Telephone text messages and computer screen savers, social media and podcasts are examples that the campaign is using. This has led to more than 5,500 hits in the first few weeks on www.nhsemployers.org/flu as trusts view and download helpful guidance, toolkits and materials.

However, we all know the value of leadership and probably the most essential piece of communication is the explicit support of senior managers. This is a great project for senior managers to use as a platform to engage workers that will endure beyond the winter flu period.

TIPS FOR GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT

• Give out flyers with receipts from the staff canteen. Promote at shift handovers.
• Promote at team meetings/team briefs.
• Attach messages to payslips to encourage staff to get vaccinated.
• Discuss at your staff forum/council.
• Add messages to email footers: “I’ve had my flu jab, have you?” Work with local and regional media for features and editorial.
• Send text messages to colleagues with work mobile phones.
• Use social media (Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc).
• Keep your intranet page up to date with information about when and where to get vaccinated.
• Use screensavers and pop-ups on all computers.

IDEAS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR STAFF TO BE VACCINATED

• Set up clinics in staff rooms or areas close to wards∙setting up
• in the staff canteen
• Hold drop-in clinics in main staff entrances, especially at times staff are starting and finishing work, offering vaccinations out of hours.
• Send vaccinators to wards and departments to catch staff who are traditionally difficult to access, for example A&E staff.
• Run clinics and drop-in centres across other sites.
• Run clinics at places you are likely to find community-based staff∙
• Offer a cup of tea and biscuit to all staff who attend to get vaccinated.
• Allow staff to drop-in to a clinic at any time that suits them.
• Use peer vaccinators to vaccinate colleagues.
• Train ward managers to vaccinate their own staff (or, if this poses an issue, to swap with another manager and vaccinate their staff).

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.nhsemployers.org