Heartbeat: May the 4 be with you – Flu campaign shortlisted for award
March 25, 2019
Our recent Star Wars themed flu campaign has been shortlisted for the most creative award by NHS Employers, alongside Bank Nurse Kathy Robinson who is shortlisted for the Flufighter champion award.
This year’s flu campaign saw the occupational health team launch a brand new theme, based on Star Wars, with ‘May the 4 be with you.’ This is a play on the famous Star Wars quote used to highlight the four elements of protection this year’s quadrivalent flu vaccine provided.
Colleagues across the Trust embraced the Star Wars theme with many dressing up as iconic characters including Dr David Carruthers as Han Solo, Chief Nurse Paula Gardner as a Jedi Knight and Director of People and Organisation Development Raffaela Goodby as Princess Leia.
Tracy Lees, Occupational Health & Wellbeing Nurse Manager played a key role in implementing this season’s flu campaign.
She said: “Our Star Wars theme really brought colleagues together and encouraged them to get their flu vaccination. This year we gave a total of 4,444 jabs and we reached patient facing herd immunity by the end of November 2018.
To inject an element of fun into the campaign, we also held a competition for colleagues to discover the mystery of ‘Who was Flubacca?’. Incentives and prizes were available in an effort to increase awareness of the flu jab and the benefits of having it.”
Bank Nurse Kathy Robinson has been shortlisted in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the recent flu campaign. Her flexibility and work ethic enabled out of hour’s access to the flu vaccine, including early mornings and nights, which complemented provision given by the Trust peer vaccinators and other vaccinators. Kathy administered an amazing 1,063 vaccinations herself and worked hard to find new opportunities for staff to get vaccinated.
On being shortlisted, Kathy said: “When I heard I was shortlisted for the flu fighter champion award I was overjoyed. It’s fantastic to have been nominated for such a prestigious award and I feel like a winner already. However if I was to win, it would be the icing on the cake, especially having given over 1,000 jabs.”
She added: “It’s estimated that around 70 per cent of flu cases have no symptoms, but are spreading the virus to others. With this in mind, I believe it is vital that as many people as possible get the vaccination, which is why I was determined to leave no stone unturned in finding unvaccinated colleagues and having a discussion with them about how the flu vaccination could protect them, their family and their patients from this deadly virus.”
The NHS Employer’s awards ceremony is due to take place on 25 March at the Midland Hotel, Manchester. Good luck to Kathy and the flu campaign team!