A review of influenza immunisation in Lothian

To assess the influence of the Chief Medical Officer's annual guidelines on influenza immunisation and to estimate vaccine uptake particularly of those resident in long-stay residential facilities and of other recommended at-risk groups.

Postal questionnaires.

Lothian, Scotland (population 750,000).

All consultants caring for patients in long stay National Health Service facilities; a random sample of all general practitioners (GP's) in Lothian; managers/charge nurses of all local authority, private and voluntary long stay facilities in Lothian and continuing care facilities in the National Health Service including adults and children.

Number (%) of general practitioners offering influenza vaccine to at-risk groups as defined in the Chief Medical Officer's guidelines; number (%) of hospital consultants caring for long-stay patients in hospital in Lothian who offer influenza vaccine to the same at-risk groups; percentage of long-stay residents/patients who received influenza vaccine in 1992-3.

Seventy nine (75%) GPs said they offered influenza vaccine to all at-risk groups; 15 (14%) GPs said they did not care for patients in long-stay facilities but offered vaccine to the other at-risk groups; 12 (11%) GPs who did have long-stay residents on their list, offered vaccine to some of them only and to all other at-risk groups; 14 (56%) hospital consultants did not offer influenza vaccine to long-stay patients; 10 (40%) immunised only those at risk from chronic medical conditions if their quality of life was good; 1 (4%) consultant offered vaccine to all long-stay patients. In the winter of 1992-3, the mean proportion of residents immunised in private nursing homes was 65%, in residential homes 68.5%, and in long-stay National Health Service wards 4.5%. GPs commented that annual publicity was confusing for the public, vaccine was not available at the right time and there was uncertainty on the efficacy of the vaccine. Hospital consultants were reluctant to immunise patients with a poor quality of life or who were demented and unable to give consent.

A large majority of GPs followed official advice and offered influenza vaccine to long-stay patients and other at risk groups. Hospital consultants offered influenza vaccine only to a small proportion of their long-stay patients, primarily those with a good quality of life.