Prevention- The flu vaccine

Much of the illness and death caused by the influenza virus can be prevented by the annual influenza vaccination. Many individuals still do not have the knowledge or understand the importance or how to get the vaccine and also because at times, stocks can run out of the vaccine. There have been many miss-understandings of the vaccine in the public eye. The vaccine is given each year by an injection. People who are at high risk of getting the influenza virus are strongly recommended to get annual vaccination. These groups of people include:

· Aged over 65

· Chronic respiratory disease

· Chronic heart disease

· Chronic kidney disease

· Chronic liver disease

· Diabetes

· Chronic neurological disease

· Immunosuppression illness

High risk groups also include those working in public sector areas or those in contact with a number of different groups of people, for example : health care workers, those living in close proximity to others, gym environments, air conditioned areas or working.

The vaccine needs to be given each year, this is due to the clever fact that the virus changes continually by mutating. Therefore, each year, the vaccine changes according to the most up to date virus that is present. Also, once a person receives the vaccine, the effectiveness of the vaccine, reduces over time in an individual.

The vaccine should be taken around September of each year and it takes approximately 2 weeks for the beneficially effects of the vaccine to develop.

Care Quality Commision Approved and Registered

Galen Health Partners

Mandeep Gill - Project Manager

As Project Manager, Mandeep manages all service and business developments, from planning, implementation and review. Mandeep has extensive experience within health care management, ranging from primary and secondary care experience within the NHS over seven years. At Galen Health Mandeep works in partnership with the directors of Galen Health on all aspects of service delivery and service reviews, and is the lead for Care Quality Commission, ensuring all Galen Health services are compliant with National Standards.

Her employment portfolio includes working for Ealing PCT as an Access Facilitator where she worked with 84 GP practices, to ensure primary care projects related to access were developed and implemented in line with the NHS Plan. As a Locality Commissioner at Richmond and Twickenham PCT she supported the development, planning and delivery of Practice Based Commissioning (PBC), to commission and redesign new and/or existing clinical pathways. Within the PBC, she implemented, managed and reviewed demand management initiatives. She also has contract negotiation and management experience at a local and acute level.

Her experience within secondary care has been focused on Cancer Waiting Times. As a service improvement facilitator at The Royal Marsden Hospital, she worked in collaboration with the trusts multi disciplinary cancer team, and colleagues from The South West London Cancer Network, to review the current patient journey with these teams and to facilitate service redesign to improve the experience and outcomes for patients. As a Cancer Service Manager as West Middlesex University Hospital Trust, she worked with the senior clinical colleagues on the development of the Cancer

Strategy within the trust. Her duties extended from day-to-day operational management, to implementation of national and local recommendations in line with Improving Outcomes Guidance from National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.