GPs in Eastern Cheshire praised for flu jab success

Dr Paul Bowen

GP practices in Eastern Cheshire have been praised for their success in administering flu jabs.

NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which plans and buys healthcare services for more than 200,000 people, highlighted that the average uptake rate locally was 78.1% among the over 65s – compared to the England average of 72.7%.

The CCG, which is made up of 23 GP practices based in Alderley Edge, Bollington, Chelford, Congleton, Disley, Handforth, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Poynton and Wilmslow, also performed best in its peer group for administering flu jabs to pregnant women. With an uptake rate of almost 54% it came 14th nationally in this area.

The 'peer group', which also includes NHS South Cheshire CCG, consists of 20 CCGs from across the country which NHS England considers to be demographically similar.

The NHS England data measured national flu jab uptake between September 2014 and December 2015.

Dr Paul Bowen, chair of NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG and GP with McIlvride Medical Practice, Poynton, said: "Our practices deserve the highest praise for delivering such excellent results – especially as they managed to do so during the winter period, which is when services are most hard-pressed.

"Our member practices always strive to provide the best possible care for our patients and these figures will only spur them on to further improve next winter.

"Flu vaccine is the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus that can cause unpleasant illness in children and severe illness and death among at-risk groups, including older people, pregnant women and those with an underlying medical health condition.

"That's why our practices will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that people in at-risk groups get their free vaccination when the annual Flu Safe campaign starts in the autumn."

Photo: Dr Paul Bowen, chair of NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG.

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NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group
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