Compulsory vaccination for frontline NHS staff in England
Monday 29th November 2021
There are currently 103,000 frontline NHS staff in England unvaccinated. It has been scientifically established that vaccinated people have a lower risk of catching Covid-19 and are less likely to become seriously ill or need to go to hospital if they do catch the virus.
In an effort to protect both patients and the NHS as a whole, the government have confirmed that it will be a mandatory requirement for staff working on the NHS frontline in England to have their Covid-19 vaccinations. This comes following a consultation which considered whether both Covid-19 and flu vaccinations should be made compulsory. It was confirmed that the flu vaccine would not be mandated. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are not yet introducing such measures.
As with the legislation for healthcare workers in care homes, those with a medical reason not to receive the vaccination will be exempt. Staff who do not have face-to-face contact with patients will also be exempt.
Although a specific date is yet to be provided for the implementation of this legislation, Sajid Javid stated it would be enforced 12 weeks after parliamentary approval, which is likely to be from April 2022. This will give ample time for NHS staff to become fully vaccinated where they are not already.
The legislation could increase pressure on the NHS, who are already overworked, by forcing those who do not want to be vaccinated to leave. In turn this may reduce the care available to vulnerable patients.
It is important to remember that many staff could still be vaccine-hesitant. Employers should seek to support workers not vaccinated to make a “positive choice”, but should ensure they do not force or shame employees into getting the vaccine.
Comment
Some non-healthcare employers are considering their own vaccine requirements and possibly following suit. This would be a choice for individual employers not to be taken lightly as the ramifications can be complex. Whether you are in the healthcare sector or not, for advice in relation to how this could affect your workplace and what potential alternative options could apply, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the employment team.
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