Stay well, stay healthy this winter

Flu season has come early this year, and the NHS is bracing itself for what could be a tough winter. Brent Council and our NHS partners are urging residents to support the NHS during this period of high strain on our health service. 

Eligible residents can get a flu vaccine at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine, making it as easy as possible for those most at risk to stay protected. Due to the severity of this year’s Flu Season, even close contacts of someone with a weakened immune system are eligible for jabs. If you are visiting elderly family during this holiday period, we urge you to get your jab and protect your loved ones and the NHS. 

It is easier than ever to get vaccinated. Brent Council and the NHS have been going out into communities to deliver the vaccines and provide health check-ups. Pop-up vaccine clinics are available at our libraries, our health buses will be located at local supermarkets, and at your local pharmacist. The North West London NHS website allows you to book your vaccination or find your local walk-in vaccine clinic. 

This approach was just one of the things outlined at a recent Health and Wellbeing Board Meeting to address winter pressures on the healthcare system. Preventing hospital admissions and supporting patients to be discharged as soon as possible will also be crucial to protecting communities this Winter. 

Councillor Neil Nerva, Brent’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Leisure, at Brent Council, was at the health bus outside Sainsbury’s in Willesden on 28 November, encouraging local residents to get themselves protected. He said: “Together the council and local NHS have been working hard through Brent Integrated Care Partnership to ensure the system works as efficiently as possible during the difficult winter months.

“I know residents are also keen to do their bit to protect their NHS, which is why we have been making a real effort to explain all the ways they can do that. Getting your jabs if you’re eligible and making sure you only use emergency services for life-threatening situations all makes a huge difference.”

Bhavna Patel, from Chana Chemist, was one of the team helping with the vaccinations at the health bus. She said, “Residents can arrange their jabs through their GP or at their local pharmacist, but we also make the effort to come out into the community to offer the vaccines and other health checks like blood pressure.”

In addition to getting out and about around the borough, Cllr Nerva has also appeared in a recent video made to promote the key messages and the council has printed posters to appear in parks, housing estates, shops and other community settings to spread the word far and wide.

The video that Cllr Nerva made with the Brent Borough Medical Director, Dr Rammya Mathew, is available on Brent Council’s YouTube channel, explaining how residents can use local pharmacies, NHS 111 and out-of-hour appointments via GP Practices to get the help they need.

Dr Rammya Mathew advised, “As Winter approaches, our NHS is always under extra pressure. We all have a responsibility to try to look after the NHS. The best way to do that is by keeping safe, and there are a number of ways we can do this.

“The first thing to do is to get vaccinated if you are eligible. The early public health data is showing us that we have had a spike in flu much earlier than usual. Because of that, it is very important for people to get their vaccines early.”

To support our NHS, residents are advised that if they feel unwell, they should first visit a pharmacy, where they can be advised on treatment or be referred to their GP. By visiting pharmacies first, residents help free up our GP capacity for those who need it most.

To find out whether you are eligible for a flu or COVID-19 vaccination and to book a slot or find out where to access a walk-in clinic, go to the North West London NHS webpage. You can also find out further information there about where to get the most appropriate medical help for any health issues you develop over winter.

To see all the support we offer over the Winter period in Brent, visit our Winter in Brent webpage.