Hospital staff encouraged to get flu jab amid winter concerns
Doctors and nurses at Black Country hospitals are being encouraged to have the flu jab amid fears of a potential 'epidemic' this winter.
Around half of frontline staff have been vaccinated at Sandwell Hospital and Russells Hall in Dudley - but health chiefs are keen to ensure as many have the jab as possible to avoid staff being struck down and prevent the illness spreading.
Toby Lewis, chief executive of the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital Trust, which runs Sandwell General, admitted he was concerned about how hospitals would cope during winter.
Hospital bosses are wary of a possible flu crisis this winter and are desperate to ensure vulnerable patients are protected and as few staff are off sick as possible.
Russells Hall has set a target of having 70 per cent of frontline workers vaccinated by February. The total currently stands at 45 per cent.
At Sandwell and City Hospitals, which are run by the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, 49 per cent have had the jab so far.
Mr Lewis said getting as many staff to have the jab as possible will be crucial to helping hospitals manage the pressure this winter.
He said: "We are all concerned. The only thing we can do is mitigate the position and the best way of doing that is the flu vaccination."
His counterpart at the Dudley Group NHS Trust, which runs Russells Hall, said: "We are pleased that in just four weeks we have already reached 45 per cent of our target to vaccinate 70 per cent of frontline staff against the flu virus by February 2018.
"We are confident that we can increase the percentage of staff who have their annual flu jab over the coming weeks to help protect themselves and their patients against the flu virus.
"We are required by NHS England to vaccinate 70 per cent of frontline staff against the flu virus by February 2018.
"Since the flu vaccines were delivered to the trust at the start of October, we have set up a programme of drop in clinics supported by 75 staff vaccinators giving the flu jab to staff in their workplace. We also have a high profile social media campaign to encourage as many staff as possible to have the flu jab.
"The board of directors recognises the importance of this vaccination programme which protects our vulnerable patients from the spread of flu."
