West Middlesex and Chelsea and Westminster fighting flu this winter

Staff at West Middlesex University Hospital and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital are together working hard to reduce the spread of seasonal influenza (flu) this winter by vaccinating as many frontline staff as possible. 

The trust is once again joining the national NHS Flu Fighter staff vaccination campaign, which supports hospitals in England to help improve their staff flu vaccination uptake. The aim of the vaccination programme is to protect patients and visitors to the hospital from the flu virus, and reduce staff sickness over the busy winter period.

Medical Director Zoe Penn said: “As a trust we take patient safety very seriously and we are working hard to encourage our nurses, doctors and other frontline clinical staff at both West Middlesex and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals to get vaccinated to protect their patients, themselves and their families.

“To help achieve this we are holding drop-in vaccination sessions around the hospital as well as ‘walk around clinics’ where nurses will visit busy departments to provide the jab to staff who might struggle to take time out from their duties.”

The hospital is also asking for help from its local community. If you have flu-like symptoms* then you should not come in to visit family or friends who are in the hospital as you could easily spread the flu to vulnerable patients.

For most people it will usually be possible for you to treat yourself effectively at home by resting, keeping warm, drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration and taking over-the-counter medicines to help with aches and pains and to reduce a high temperature.

There are certain patient groups that are eligible for the free NHS flu vaccine, such as those aged 65 years or older, pregnant women, people with a serious medical condition and those living in a residential or nursing home. For moreinformation see the NHS Choices website,

www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu/pages/introduction.aspx, or speak to your GP surgery or pharmacist. 

The strains of flu change each year so it is important that anyone advised to have the vaccination has it annually.