Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is first Midlands area to offer COVID‑19 and RSV vaccinations together

NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB), University Hospitals of Leicester and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust are working together this spring to offer a joined‑up COVID‑19 and RSV vaccination service in all hospitals.

All eligible in-patients are being offered both their COVID‑19 booster and their Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination at the same time, making Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland the only NHS system in the Midlands to pilot this approach at scale in hospital settings.

This collaborative approach, which began on 13 April and will continue until 30 June 2026, is designed to make vaccination simpler, more convenient and easier to access for people most at risk of serious respiratory illness.

Dr Nil Sanganee, Medical Director of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and Northamptonshire Integrated Care Boards, said: “By offering COVID‑19 and RSV vaccinations together, we’re making it as easy as possible for people at greatest risk from these viruses to get protected. This approach recognises that for many patients, a hospital stay may be their most reliable point of contact with NHS services. Working closely with our hospital partners, we’re reducing missed opportunities for vaccination, improving access and helping to protect patients and our health system from avoidable severe illness.”

Linda Chibuzor, Group chief nurse at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, said: “We have been offering Covid vaccines to our patients for a number of years, and we are very pleased to extend this now to RSV vaccinations for those aged 75 and over. It will ensure the most vulnerable and frail patients in our community hospitals – alongside those who are being discharged to a care home for older adults; and those eligible in our mental health wards – are protected from further illness, including severe respiratory conditions.”

Benjamin Hyde, Senior Operational Lead for Vaccinations at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: “We are very pleased to be part of this collaborative approach, which brings clear benefits for our inpatients by making it easier to receive added protection against RSV alongside their COVID-19 vaccination. We see first-hand the impact respiratory illnesses can have, so improving access to these highly effective vaccines is an important step in protecting those most at risk. It’s fantastic to be working closely with our partners on this initiative, and we are proud to be among the first systems in the country to deliver this approach.”

Patients who are offered the vaccines during their hospital stay can still choose to receive them through GP practices, community pharmacies or other NHS vaccination services, if that is their preference.

Learning from the pilot service will help inform future vaccination services, both locally and across the region.  This pilot builds on close collaboration between the ICB and local NHS trusts, embedding vaccination opportunities into routine hospital care wherever possible.  For more information about the COVID‑19 and RSV vaccination programmes, including eligibility and local vaccination options, visit: https://www.llrvaccinations.nhs.uk/