Leaders from the major unions, medical colleges and associations have come together to urge NHS staff to keep getting vaccinated, in a signed joint statement. There is an urgent need for these vaccinations now, before the flu season worsens when winter sets in.

The first ever national NHS staff flu vaccination campaign began September this year with the aim of driving-up vaccination rates among staff. But only 34.7 per cent⁽¹⁾ of front-line staff were vaccinated last year and this needs to increase to ensure staff do not transmit flu to colleagues, their families and vulnerable patients - for whom the virus can be fatal.

"We all hope that the staff flu vaccination campaign will be a great success and we are so thankful to the many thousands of staff for getting their jab. The momentum is still strong and we need to build on this because there is an urgent need to get more staff vaccinated before the flu season truly gets underway. We hope many more staff will request their jab now to build their immunity."

The full signed statement is being published today by the NHS Employers organisation:

"Good progress is being made vaccinating NHS staff in many organisations but we must maintain momentum. We the undersigned urge NHS staff to have the flu vaccination and for organisations to do all they can to ensure that it is readily available to staff where and when they are working.

It’s vital that staff protect themselves, their families and those in their care.  We want having the vaccine to become routine and to be seen to be as important and fundamental as good hand hygiene in protecting the most vulnerable in our care. This simple act could save lives, including health workers and their families.

Last winter little over a third of front-line health workers had a seasonal flu vaccination. We need this to improve, to ensure we protect our staff and those we care for. It is for this reason we support England's first national staff seasonal flu vaccination campaign for NHS staff and urge staff to help protect the millions of patients who pass through our care every week by asking their managers where and when to get vaccinated."

The signatories:

·         Dean Royles, Director, NHS Employers

·         Gail Adams, Head of Nursing, Unison

·         Rachael Maskell, Head of Health, Unite

·         Rehana Azam, National Officer, GMB

·         Cathy Warwick, President, Royal College of Midwives

·         Jon Skewes, Director of Employment Relations and Development, Royal College of Midwives

·         Dr Laurence Buckman. Chair, BMA GPs Committee, British Medical Association

·         Dr Mark Porter, Chair, BMA Consultants Committee, British Medical Association

·         Professor Sue Bailey, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists

·         Sue Johnson, President, Society of Radiographers

·         Dr Peter Nightingale, President, Royal College of Anaesthetists

·         Dr Anthony Falconer, President, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

·         Professor Peter Furness, President, Royal College of Pathologists

·         Janet Davies, Director of Nursing and Service Delivery, Royal College of Nursing

·         Dr Helena Johnson, Chair of Council,  Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

·         Richard Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Society and College of Radiographers

·         Julia Scott, Chief Executive, British Association of Occupational Therapists

·         Jon Restell, Chief Executive, Managers in Partnership

·         Martin Else, Chief Executive, Royal College of Physicians

·         Sir Richard Thompson, President, Royal College of Physicians

·         Professor Lindsey Davies CBE, President. Faculty of Public Health

·         Dr Umesh Udeshi FRCR, President, Hospital Consultants & Specialists Association

·         Stephen Campion, Chief Executive, Hospital Consultants & Specialists Association

·         Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

·         Sir Neil Douglas, Chairman, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges

The NHS Employers organisation is running the campaign on behalf of the Social Partnership Forum, bringing together NHS employers, trade unions and the Department of Health.

More information is available at www.nhsemployers.org/flu and also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nhsflufighter) and Twitter (@nhsflufighter).