A WARRINGTON-based nurse at Spencer House in Birchwood has been shortlisted for a national award in recognition of her work on a local flu campaign.
Janet Rawlings, the lead nurse for flu and quality matron for Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is shortlisted for a 2018 NHS Flu Fighter Award. Janet is a finalist in the Flu Fighter Champion category at the event which is taking place on April 24 at The Midland Hotel in Manchester.
In her first year taking up the role as flu lead for the trust, Janet managed to boost staff flu vaccination figures by 20 per cent ensuring that a total of 71.5 per cent of frontline staff received a flu jab.
Bridgewater chief executive Colin Scales said: “Janet is a credit to our organisation. She has shown incredible drive, tenacity and innovation in her approach to the staff flu campaign.
‘’The trust aims to vaccinate as many of our staff as possible against the flu but due to our staff working across over 90 health centres and clinics in different parts of the North West this has been challenging in previous years. However, Janet worked tirelessly over six months to make sure as many staff as possible received their vaccination and even ensured that the campaign helped vulnerable people both in this country and abroad. She thoroughly deserves recognition for her achievements.”
Janet used an innovative “get a jab, give a jab” partnership with Unicef to encourage more staff to get a flu vaccination. The partnership involves the trust donating 10 tetanus vaccines through Unicef to vulnerable expectant mothers and children in Africa and South and East Asia for every one member of staff vaccinated against the flu. As a result of her efforts, 18,940 tetanus vaccinations are set to be donated to Unicef by Bridgewater following the campaign.
Additionally Janet also ensured that 42 local homeless people under the care of the trust’s Health Outreach and Inclusion Team received flu vaccinations to help protect them over the winter period.
Find out more about the awards at www.nhsemployers.org/flufighter.
