> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Two-thirds of frontline hospital workers not protected against flu as Ipswich Hospital asks visitors to wear masks
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/two-thirds-of-local-nhs-staff-not-protected-against-flu/
- Published: 2025-01-10T08:07:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:25:55.000Z
- Description: Just 32% of frontline healthcare workers at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals have received their flu vaccination, new figures from the UK Health Security Agency show.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Health & Care Services, #article, East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST), Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), #Import 2026-03-16 14:45

**Why it matters:** The low vaccination rate among healthcare workers comes at a critical time:

- Ipswich Hospital A&E is under unprecedented pressure from winter illnesses as it urges the public to get vaccinated and wear masks when visiting.
- The [East of England Ambulance Service is operating at its highest alert level](https://www.ipswich.co.uk/tag/east-of-england-ambulance-service-is-operating-at-its-highest-alert-level/), increasing the number of ambulances operating in the region by 90 per day.

![Urgent & Emergency Care Centre at Ipswich Hospital](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1736335316-ipswich-hospital-urgent-and-emergency-care-centre-2-7.jpg)

Just 32% of frontline healthcare workers at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust have received their flu vaccination Photo: Oliver Rouane-Williams (Ipswich.co.uk)

**What they're saying:** Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: "The NHS has been hit hard with an early festive flu season, putting increased pressure on staff as they prepare for the long winter ahead of us."

**The bigger picture:** The low vaccination rate matches the national average, with 68% of frontline NHS staff across England not yet vaccinated. The surge in winter illnesses is adding to existing pressures:

- The East of England Ambulance Service received over 39,000 emergency calls between Christmas and New Year
- The service has deployed 90 extra ambulances daily to manage demand

**What's being done:** The NHS is making the flu jab "as easy as possible" to access, with vaccination centres in supermarket car parks and football clubs, according to Professor Powis.

**What the experts say:** Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at The Health Foundation, said the current winter crisis reflects a "lack of resilience" in the NHS after a decade of austerity.

Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursing's executive director for England, warned: "Right across the NHS beds are full, A&E is facing increasing pressures, while the growing number of flu cases threatens to overwhelm an NHS and workforce already in crisis."

**Bottom line:** With local ambulance services already stretched and winter illnesses circulating, health leaders are urging both healthcare workers and the public to get vaccinated before the situation worsens.

### Independent local journalism is expensive to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners.