GWENT nurses and midwives have been urged to lead by example and get themselves vaccinated against flu, to help protect their families and their patients during the forthcoming winter.

The staff flu vaccination campaign run by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board was launched at its annual nursing and midwifery conference yesterday, where hundreds of delegates were reminded of the importance of getting protected against the virus.

"It is important not only to protect yourselves and your families, but also your patients," said the health board's interim director of nursing Lin Slater, who added that last year, 20 patients required a stay in intensive care due to flu, and six died.

"We are exposed to the flu virus, and one-in-four healthcare workers are likely to get it unless we are vaccinated."

Flu vaccinations were available at the conference, and around 150 health board staff took advantage of the opportunity to protect themselves.

The health board hopes to encourage a larger response among staff, to improve a position that last year saw it record the lowest uptake of flu vaccine among its employees in general, and also among staff who come into direct contact with patients.

Just 41.4 per cent of Gwent health board staff with direct patient contact were vaccinated against flu last year. That equated to 3,959 staff out of a possible 9,509.

The Wales-wide average was 47.3 per cent, and the highest uptake was in Powys Teaching Health Board (60.1 per cent).

This year's conference, held at the Christchurch Centre, Newport, highlighted some of the health board's more under-the-radar, but no less vital, services.

The event was lightheartedly titled 007 Secret Services and the air was thick with James Bond puns - but these did not detract from a varied series of presentations covering subjects and services as diverse as enuresis (bedwetting), tuberculosis, blended diets for children with feeding tubes, the healthcare of asylum seekers, 'virtual' inpatients, sleep apnoea, and rapid assessment, interface and discharge (RAID) for older patients with mental health problems and/or dementia.

There were also 40 posters on display highlighting nursing-based services and projects, again covering a wide range of subjects including falls prevention, reducing donor blood wastage, and the prevention of pressure damage in neo-natal babies.

The conference also saw the formal launch of the health board's nursing and midwifery strategy for 2016-2020, called Living the Code, Delivering the Care, which sets out the key priorities for nurses and midwives in helping deliver the health board's vision and objectives.

Its title references the revised code of practice for all nurses and midwives, and the strategy sets out four key aims - the delivery of safe, high quality, dignified care; developing and empowering nurse leaders; developing a skilled and adaptable nursing and midwifery workforce; and ensuring nurses and midwives work collaboratively.

Addressing the conference, Lin Slater acknowledged that the new strategy must be delivered in "very challenging times" for nurses and midwives, against a background of ongoing shortages of trained staff.

She told delegates that it can be disheartening as NHS staff, to hear criticism of the service in the media, but stressed that an antidote to this is to "remember the job that we do."

Health board chairman David Jenkins also spoke about shortages of nursing staff, and how a failure in recent times to train enough nurses - in the UK and other countries - is a key factor.

Of the burden shouldered by nursing staff in delivering care in Gwent, he said: "We do not apologise for the pressures we put on you, because we want to be providing high quality, timely care for our population. But we do recognise the response you provide."