NHS England London Region – Community Pharmacy Health Promotion
Campaign
Seasonal Flu – 2013
Setting
All Community Pharmacies in London
Cohort
Characteristic
All patients, and their carer, who are users of pharmacy services in London
Background and
context
Every year 600 people die from seasonal flu.
This campaign aims to protect from ill effects of flu and control A&E
attendances during winter surge period.
Flu causes a sudden high temperature, headache and general aches and
pains, tiredness and sore throat.
You can also lose your appetite, feel nauseous and have a cough. Flu
symptoms can make people feel so exhausted and unwell that you have to
stay in bed and rest until you feel better. Symptoms peak after two to three
days and you should begin to feel much better after a week or so, although
you may feel tired for much longer.
Sickness absence from employment causes huge logistical problems
annually.
You are usually infectious - that is able to pass on flu to others - a day before
your symptoms start, and for a further five or six days. Children and people
with weaker immune systems, such as cancer patients, may remain infectious
for longer.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has defined the
inclusion criteria for people deemed to be risk (as per Patient Medication
Record) from the seasonal flu ~
· are 65 or over
· are pregnant
· have a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, lung
disease, kidney or neurological disease
· have a weakened immune system
· two and three years (but not four years or older) on the 1 September 2013
(i.e. date of birth on or after 2 September 2009 and on or before 1 September
2011).
The Green Book and the CMO flu letters for identification of who is eligible.
Green Book:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-healthengland/series/immunisation-against-infectious-disease-the-green-book
Seasonal flu programme for children:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/
207008/130613_Flu_Letter_v_29_Gateway_GW_signed.pdf
Seasonal flu programme for other eligible cohorts:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/
225360/Children_s_flu_letter_2013.pdf
Intervention
Promote the access to Seasonal Flu vaccination to all at risk groups and
remind public of how to deal with and limit the spread of flu-symptoms.
A flu vaccine is available free on the NHS if you:
* are pregnant
* 65 or older
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* have a serious medical condition
* live in a residential or nursing home
* carer
In 2014 children aged 2-16 years old will be offered the vaccine, which will be
given as a nasal spray rather than an injection, is unlikely to be offered to
children before 2014.
Healthcare workers can get the seasonal flu vaccine but the employer may be
expected to pay for this.
Despite popular belief, the flu vaccine cannot give you flu as it doesn't contain
the active virus needed to do this.
This campaign encourages all patients and public to seek advice from their
Community Pharmacy.
Intervention format
1. Display Seasonal Flu poster and leaflets in prominent position.
2. Either when having their prescriptions dispensed or when seeking advice,
all pharmacy staff will ask if the patient (or family members) has arranged
their seasonal flu vaccination
3. If not, pharmacy staff will remind patient to make an appointment either
with their GP, their own pharmacy or neighbouring pharmacy providing a
flu vaccination service for their vaccination
4. Selected pharmacies will vaccinate patients that meet the NHS inclusion
criteria, as per NHS PGD and ensure clinical data is securely transferred
to GP within 48 hours.
5. All pharmacies to record the number of contacts reminded of seasonal flu
vaccination and the number of these that are at risk groups during the
period of the campaign
6. All Pharmacies will actively support "over the counter" medication for flulike symptoms, i.e. paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve high temperature
and relieve aches.
Enablers
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Materials available to support campaign – posters and leaflets (Resources
will be provided to all pharmacies at no cost to the contractor)
Letter from Primary Care team and template data recording form
National marketing of flu vaccination campaign
Community Pharmacy contractual framework terms of service
Web based online survey tool to report activity at end of campaign
Marketing
Public Health England poster and leaflets
1. Promoting the "Get Jabbed" campaign, August - December 2013
2. Promoting the "Catch It, Bin It, Kill It" campaign to prevent the spread of
seasonal flu, October – January
3. Links to useful websites and NHS Choices
Cost – (For
Commissioner
review only)
Marketing & advertising
Data collection & analysis
Evaluation & reporting
Administrative costs
Sources of cost
neutral Support
- (For
Commissioner
review only)
Public Health England posters and leaflets - and evaluation / analysis of flu
outbreaks
Stakeholders
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NHS England Primary Care - £200 per month
Community Pharmacists
Community pharmacy staff
Pharmacy users in London
Public Health England
NHS England
Department of Health
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
Local Pharmaceutical Committees
Outputs
1. Number of contacts reminded of seasonal flu vaccination and signposting
to vaccination provider during period of campaign
2. Number of contacts reminded of seasonal flu that are at risk groups during
campaign
3. number of leaflets distributed during period of campaign
4. General feedback
5. Report on the data from the campaign will be shared with Medical
Directorate, Public Health England,
Timelines
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Signposting patients to flu vaccination providers to include selected
Community Pharmacies - September 2013 to January 2014
Campaign period for data collection – October 2013
Deadline for submission of campaign data via a web based online survey
– 10th November 2013 Pharmacies that do not participate in the
campaign and/or submit their data by the deadline will be subject to
contractual remedies.
Risks – (for
commissioner
review only)
Resources within NHS England
Benefits
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Public confidence and concordance
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Better health outcomes for the population and communities of London
Increased awareness of public health issues within the population and
communities of London
Increasing the public health profile of community pharmacy
Increasing the profile of NHS England – London Region
London wide approach
Reproducible model
JCVI algorithm, well established
Annual programme growing positive reputation
Good return on investment
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