The national NHS ‘Stay Well This Winter’ campaign launched Monday 9 October. The campaign is commissioned by NHS England, Public Health England and the Department of Health and aims to ease seasonal pressure on NHS services by reducing the number of people who become so ill that they require admission to hospital.
A key objective of the campaign is to ensure that people who are most at risk of preventable emergency admission to hospital are aware of and, wherever possible, motivated to take, actions that may avoid admission this winter – such as taking up the flu jab when offered and seeking advice at the first signs of illness.
The campaign runs in two phases. The first phase (9-29 October) aims to promote flu vaccination uptake amongst pregnant women, children aged 2-3 years, (targeting their parents), and those with long term health conditions, particularly respiratory diseases (e.g. COPD or bronchitis). It also aims to promote awareness of the nasal spray among parents of children aged 2-3 years.
A key objective for the second phase (6 November to 17 December) will be to encourage those who are at risk of hospital admission to the visit the pharmacy for advice and/or treatment for seasonal illnesses, as well as urging them to have the flu jab.
For more information, see www.nhs.uk/staywell