To think free flu jabs for NHS admin staff is ridiculous??

[thisisjustridiculous]

My SIL is admin staff in the NHS, she has no patient contact and no real contact with medical staff, beyond half an hour a week.

She’s just got a free flu jab! AIBU to think this is disgusting? It must cost the NHS so much, admin staff should have to pay. I agree that frontline staff should get it for free to protect the vulnerable but admin staff shouldn’t.

Darn sight cheaper than the tax payer funding their sick leave.

2/10 for effort @thisisjustridiculous

I’m a teacher we are offered a free flu jab voucher.

Even if this is your world view, the main category of "net beneficiaries" are people who are long term off sick, including those with post viral fatigue.

So guess what, vaccinate your employees to keep them productive.

I also care about people contributing to society but paying a lot of tax is not the only way to do that.

Not only will it prevent sickness absence and costs of that with cover (if lucky)
The cost of working out which individual in each big trust works with patients far outweighs the £8 it costs to give it to everyone
Ironically it would be the admin staff you dont want to have the vaccine who would end up working it out and letting people know
Flu is awful and kills even relatively health people each year. Do you really hate your sil that much?

Yes, lots do. It would probably save the country money long term if everyone (unless medically unable to have it) got it. And anything which makes it safer for vulnerable people to be safer going places is a step in the direction of equality. Maybe if we all had the jabs, then more people would feel safer going out.

Plus OP, it doesn't matter if someone is FT or works half an hour a week, if the rule is that everyone should get it to protect patients, the patient who with her in that half hour deserves as much protection as everyone else.

DH works for the nhs. He’s senior management and is pretty well paid…. Definitely contributes a lot of tax out of his tax payer funded salary. He’s had his free jab… is that ok? He’d get it anyway as he’s relatively old. Of course all staff should get it. Free.

Because it’s taxpayer money. Think how much it just cost!
Yeah, I'vee had a think. I'm still happy for them to have it!

They’ve stopped giving nhs staff the covid vaccine so that’ll save you a few of your tax pennies.

Or their sickness policy, free lukewarm tea and digestives, I think they get free toilet rolls and sanibags too

Presumably she has contact with healthcare professionals who have contact with sick people. Of course they should have it and it should be provided.

Why not given that it saves the tax payer a hell of a lot of money? NHS won’t pay £15 btw - that should be obvious.

Its a free flu jab ffs

Its not a hill i would die on

But why should employees have to pay? I think that's a pretty weird stance. Many employers fund the flu jab for employees as it's in the employers interest to do so. Covering sickness absence is expensive. One £15 flu jab versus £600 weekly agency staff cover for the administrator (which will be needed if enough become ill) I know what makes the most business sense to me.

It's part of the public sector renumeration package.

Lol what an absolute numpty!!

Admin staff are essential to NHS services- I say this as a health professional. If one admin is unvaccinated, catches flu and spreads it to a clinical team this could result in numerous staff and patients becoming ill. This is an infection control matter hence why every member of the NHS is offered the vaccine.

"Disgusting"?? Good grief, I despair.

Is this a case of “I can’t get it free so no one else should?”

Oh shove off and give yourself a damned good talking to

The NHS is grinding to a fucking halt because it’s chronically under managed. So all our clinical staff are having to get through piles of non clinical work when they should be seeing patients

A flu jab is hardly a fucking luxury fgs, it’s there so that we can keep working, keep doing our jobs, and keep delivering health care

My (private) employer offers it for free (we pay for it and can claim back on expenses).

Why should the NHS be any different? Admin staff help keep the wheels of the NHS bus turning.

I could fill a book with a list of things about NHS waste of money that pissed me off

This would not be in the book.

Really check yourself. Even I am not complaining about this!!! 😂 that tells you something.

For the avoidance of doubt for any NHS admin staff reading this bizarre froth, I have been grateful countless times for the hard work you do behind the scenes!

I don’t mind any public sector worker being offered a free flu jag. It doesn’t seem to extend to teachers though 🙈

NHS are in a threat and risk environment every day, in terms of threat to their health and passing it on to others, and just one day off ill is several times the value of a jab, never mind including the re rostering and possibility of passing to others and the fact that many will also have underlying health issues too.

Good on 'em. It's actually good workforce planning.