MPs alarmed only 25% of care staff in contact with elderly get flu jab

MPs have expressed shock and disappointment that only a quarter of care staff caring for elderly people are vaccinated against the flu.

MPs urge CQC to 'take action' on poor immunisation rates

With winter approaching, a cross-party group of MPs is calling on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ‘take action’ against care homes' poor immunisation rates, poor recording of flu jab uptake and to expect ‘full coverage amongst staff working with individuals who are most at risk from serious illness from flu’.

‘We were shocked by survey results from Public Health England (PHE) which showed that the best flu vaccination uptake in social care settings was around 25 per cent. The poor response rate was also disappointing’, MPs on the House of Commons’ Science and Technology select committee said in a report (published 18 October).

MPs said ad hoc surveys of care homes by PHE showed ‘huge variability’ in immunisation rates.

MPs said the the case for vaccination in staff working in care settings ‘was just as strong, if not stronger, than those working in hospitals.

‘We believe it is as much a professional duty for staff working in social care to be vaccinated as it is for frontline healthcare workers.’

While there is an established system for all healthcare providers to submit information on healthcare worker flu vaccination uptake to NHS England, MPs were told routine information on social care worker vaccination rates was not collected because of the ‘complexity of care homes’.

However, in Northern Ireland, health and social care is integrated resulting in data collected by the Public Health Agency on social care worker vaccine uptake. MPs are demanding an effective system of data collection to be established in care settings by the 2019/20 flu season.

‘We were surprised that no effective system of monitoring uptake of flu vaccination rates amongst staff working in social care settings has been established in England', MPs said.

‘We recommend that the Government should review this and determine how vaccination uptake data can be collected from care homes.’

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, both health and social care settings have obligations to provide effective prevention and control of infection.

The CQC looks at how a care provider meets its obligations in relation to ‘assessing the risk of, and preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of infections, including those that are health care associated’.

Flu jab rates amongst healthcare workers were the highest ever in the 2017/18 season at 68.7 per cent compared to 63 per cent in the 2016/17 season.

Last year, NHS England said it would add care home workers to the eligible groups for NHS flu vaccination through GP practices and community pharmacies. MPs said: ‘We welcome the extension of the NHS programme to frontline social care workers.’

In their report, MPs said: ‘We call on the Government to look at ways in which uptake among social care staff could be improved and establish the same principle as now exists in the NHS—the aim of 100 per cent coverage.’

PHE figures reveal 72.6 per cent of patients aged 65+ received the flu jab in 2017/18 season, up from 70.5 per cent 2016/17.

Caroline Abrahams, director of Age UK, has joined the call for care workers as well as elderly people to have the flu jab.

Ms Abrahams said: “Older people who need care or are in care settings are also all too often vulnerable and can be more susceptible to flu. It is vital that older people and the care workers who care for them are vaccinated, which means better implementation across the care sector and better rollout across the country.”