Poole Hospital is in the top 10 hospitals nationally for flu vaccination uptake by frontline healthcare workers this winter.
Almost 90% of the Ttrust’s frontline staff - who deal directly with patients - have had the vaccination and Poole is the only acute hospital from the south of England to make the top 10.
The hospital is also one of 36 Ttrusts that has achieved the national target of 75% flu vaccination uptake among healthcare workers.
A total of 88.7% of staff have had their jabs, which is the highest ever for a staff flu campaign at the trust and exceeds last year’s 86.4%.
The staff communications drive for the vaccination utilised the hospital’s ‘We all have a role in infection control’ message. It provided education on the potential dangers of flu, the benefits of the vaccination and debunked myths about the jab.
New to this winter’s campaign was the ability for staff to send a bleep message to an occupational health nurse’s handheld pager to request a vaccination for when and where was best for them and their team or department.
The vaccine works by boosting the body’s immune response to flu. It is a quadrivalent vaccine meaning that it gives protection for four of the most common strains of influenza.
Dr Angus Wood, the hospital’s medical director, was very pleased with the uptake. “The flu vaccination is part of our duty of care to patients and this is a fantastic effort from our staff to stay healthy over the winter period,” said Angus.
“I’m proud that we’ve made the top 10 and our high vaccination rates will help reduce the spread of flu in our hospital and the community.”
Emily Bennett, a clinical nurse specialist in the acute pain service, was one of the staff members who helped promote the campaign to her colleagues. “I’ve always had the jab and I’ve never had flu,” said Emily.
“The flu jab protects me as a nurse and the vulnerable patients I care for. I have it because want to keep protecting myself, my family and my patients.”
Vaccinations are still available for staff who have not yet had the jab as the trust attempts to boost its figures even further.
Flu is a highly infectious disease that can spread through communities. Vaccinated hospital staff help prevent the spread and keep themselves, vulnerable patients, colleagues and their families safe.
