The Trust, which runs three hospitals in the region as well as outpatient services at various community sites, administered over 3,300 vaccines to staff directly involved in patient care and treatment in just five weeks.
Ensuring that staff were aware that the vaccination was available, the Trust’s Communications and Engagement team worked closely with Occupational Health and Wellbeing to design and deliver an eye-catching publicity campaign. Taking the lead from last summer’s cinematic offerings from a galaxy, far, far away, the flu jab was given a decidedly intergalactic make-over, complete with Jedi, lightsabers and a parody of Star Wars’ iconic opening crawl.
Called ‘Flu Wars – The Last Flu Fighter’, the campaign had well-known members of staff strike their best poses for fake film posters, as well as get involved in the creation of a teaser trailer, detailing when the vaccination would be available for members of staff.
The advertising materials were posted on noticeboards throughout the hospital sites, shared on the organisation’s social media profiles as well as placed weekly within the Trust’s staff newsletter. In tandem with the numerous roving vaccinators, the campaign was an immediate success with members of Team DBTH, resulting in a particularly fast uptake of the flu jab.
Thanks to these various efforts, in October 2017, DBTH was the first acute NHS trust to vaccinate 75% of patient-facing staff, an achievement made for the second year–running. With vaccinators made up from all levels of the team, Richard Parker, Chief Executive and Registered Nurse, personally administered the 3,385th jab, the landmark injection which confirmed that the Trust had vaccinated over three quarters of front-line staff.
Adam Tingle, Acting Head of Communications and Engagement, said: “We are over-the-moon to be nominated for this award, which is a fantastic recognition for the teamwork and effort put into this particular campaign. Staff at the Trust are particularly passionate about ensuring they protect not only themselves but also patients from the flu, and this was reflected within the enthusiasm, seen when our ‘Flu Wars’ project got underway – needless to say, the Force is strong with Team DBTH!”
The Social and Digital Media award recognises those who have shown outstanding creativity in the use of digital and social media to promote the flu vaccine to staff.
Richard Parker, Chief Executive at the DBTH, said: “This is another fantastic achievement for the Trust and I want to wish our team of Flu Fighters the very best of luck. With a particularly bad flu season predicted late last year, as an organisation, it was very important that we prepared as best as we could, with the flu vaccine being a significant part of these preparations. Once again, I want to say well done to the vaccination team for their tireless efforts, and to the over 3,300 members of patient facing staff who’ve had their jabs.”
The NHS England Flu Fighter 2018 awards will take place Tuesday 24 April, when the winners will be announced.