FRONTLINE staff at Gwent’s health board are being offered a flu vaccination this autumn and winter, as part of a campaign to boost uptake.

Flu ‘champions’ are being trained across all divisions of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, so they are able to administer vaccinations to their colleagues at work.

The aim is to increase the numbers of such ‘champions’ this year, and the health board’s occupational health experts are also providing drop-in vaccination sessions throughout the season, especially for those working in busy areas, and on request at large staff events and meetings.

Vaccination uptake among staff will be monitored regularly and the amount of flu ‘champions’ able to administer vaccine will be deployed in areas where uptake is low.

The campaign’s main aim is to protect as many staff as possible, to minimise the risk of them passing flu on to, or picking it up from, their patients and colleagues.

The health board will also be hoping to boost the amount of its staff who have a flu vaccination, given that last year it recorded the lowest staff uptake in Wales.

Just 41.4 per cent of staff in Gwent with direct patient contact - 3,959 out of a possible 9,509 - were vaccinated against flu last year. The target is a minimum 50 per cent.

The Wales-wide average was 47.3 per cent, and the highest uptake was in Powys Teaching Health Board (60.1 per cent).

A key to the success of staff campaign will be ensuring that enough flu ‘champions’ are available at each hospital or community base.

The aim will also be make sure that staff can receive a vaccination within, or as close as possible to, their clinical area or department, to maximise convenience.

The staff campaign is part of a wider NHS flu vaccination programme, the targets of which include people in ‘at risk’ groups, over-65s, children aged two-six years old, and pregnant women.

Flu vaccination generally is being included in health boards’ winter plans across Wales, with the aim of minimising the disruption during the challenging winter months.

It has a big role to play in keeping down hospital admissions, and staff sickness levels.