THE awards keep rolling in for the Trust’s Flu Fighting team as they win big at the National Flu Fighter Awards for the third year in a row.
The awards, hosted by NHS Employers, are very prestigious and aim to praise Trusts and their dynamic individuals for their work in encouraging people to be more aware of flu and its dangers. It also targets patient-facing staff and seeks to boost numbers of those who have received the flu jab.
This year the team was nominated for the Digital/Social Media Award for their hard work creating a campaign to encourage people to get the flu jab. It was an award well-deserved as all members worked diligently to embrace all aspects of digital and social media, which included an online training package for vaccinators, developing a flu website for Trust staff, and an educational film to combat any myths and to show the real impact flu can have on patients, staff, and family. They also carried on their Twitter campaign with Flu Fighter Fred, using the jolly character to interact with staff on a daily basis on any flu-related issues or questions.
The campaign was praised for being highly original, and the campaign had a significant impact around the Trust. It has not only raised awareness of flu and helped with myth-busting, it has also allowed for the safe training of staff to assist in the delivery of the programme without disrupting patient services. It also gives all members of staff information at their fingertips, and there has been an increase of 73% of patient-facing staff receiving the vaccination.
Presenting the team with their award was Jenni Middleton, the editor-in-chief of the Nursing Times. She announced the Trust were worthy winners as they left “no stone left unturned and had addressed everything they could regarding digital and social media.”
Tracy Lees, Flu Lead for SWBH and a member of the team, proudly said: “I am so pleased that the Trust has received a flu award for the third year in a row. It is reassuring to know that we have been recognized nationally for all the hard work that goes into delivering the Flu programme every year.”
Stuart Young, a member of the team and last year’s winner of the Flu Champion Award, also added: “We are really proud of our achievement. The two videos and online presence on Twitter and Facebook give us valuable access to staff working in busy environments with little time to spare. Social media is a great way to get our message across and getting staff protected from the flu.”
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