NHS staff in Trafford have been rolling up their sleeves to protect themselves from the effects of flu.

According to Pennine Care Trust, frontline staff are four times more likely than the general public to catch flu.

Equally, their absence from work puts additional pressure on services and staff that are already stretched during the busy winter months.

To reduce the impact of flu, the trust is required to vaccinate 75 per cent of their staff which equates to 5,258 staff, which includes bank and temporary staff.

Last year Pennine Care failed to reach its target with just 59 per cent of staff getting the jab.

In an effort to reach its target this year trust bosses have thrown their support behind the vaccination programme.

Chief Executive Michael McCourt, said: “I have my flu jab every year. I’ve always felt a personal responsibility for protecting the health of patients, colleagues and my family and continue to take this responsibility seriously.”