National Care Forum is looking for care homes in London, Leicestershire and Norfolk to take part in a research project to improve staff flu jab rates.
FluCare, which is being run by the University of East Anglia and NHS Norfolk & Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group, will explore whether offering flu vaccination clinics specifically for staff in the care home, along with financial incentives for homes, can increase uptake.
They are looking for care homes to take part in a small-scale study this autumn and a large trial next year, again in the flu season.
The project is looking for residential or nursing care homes for people over the age of 65 that employ more than ten staff.
Some care homes will receive the flu vaccination clinics and others will not, but all homes will receive £500 for taking part in the study and providing monitoring information.
The researchers will also want to interview some staff – staff who give up their time for interviews will also be paid.
Within each care home, staff who complete a short online survey will be entered into a £100 voucher prize draw.
The project will help to build the evidence base for government on what works to improve flu vaccination, beyond the rather blunt instrument of mandatory vaccination and set out the case for more collaboration/support for care home staff vaccination
A FluCare expression of interest can be completed at https://norwichcrtu.uea.ac.uk/redcap/surveys/?s=FYX344HTRC.
