Douglas Fleming has meant a lot to Nivel. As director of the Birmingham Research Unit of the Royal College of General Practitioners, he was responsible for influenza surveillance in England from 1989-2013, and he put the surveillance of symptoms and diseases on the map by using data from general practitioners. He also stood at the cradle of European cooperation in this area, which later led to a European network for influenza surveillance. The Nivel and its Birmingham Research Unit were partners from the beginning. Let us honor the memories of him.