University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust staff flu jab ‘excellence’

But with the number of workers being vaccinated varying dramatically across England, the Society for Acute Medicine says the NHS has enough to worry about without staff getting preventable illnesses.

Public Health England statistics show that 83.3% of 5,041 frontline workers at the trust were vaccinated against flu by the end of December.

It was one of the highest uptake rates in England, and well above the national average of 68.5%.Doctors, nurses, clinical staff and support workers involved in direct patient care are encouraged to have the jab.

Trusts have financial incentives for staff uptake, receiving full payment if at least 80% have it, and a decreasing amount down to 60% coverage, below which they get nothing.

The target is measured between September and February, and the payment varies depending on the size of the trust’s contract.

Across England, the 68.5% uptake rate at the end of December was better than at the same point a year earlier, when it stood at 65.8%.

An NHS spokesman said: “Flu can cause serious illness and adds significant pressure to the health services.

NHS staff have worked hard to achieve a record level of uptake for the vaccine , with almost 50,000 more frontline staff choosing to protect themselves, their patients and colleagues from flu.”