UK govt plans to make COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all NHS staff

The entire frontline NHS staff in England must be completely vaccinated against Covid as the government plans to set a deadline.

The BBC reported that as per its Whitehall sources, the government is planning to give until next spring to NHS unvaccinated staff time to get both doses.

Chris Hopson, head of NHS Providers, said around 80,000 and 100,000 NHS workers in England are not vaccinated, and now Thursday is the deadline for nursing home workers in England to get vaccinated.

The government's decision follows a consultation in September and considers whether Covid and influenza shots should be mandatory for frontline NHS and care workers.

The BBC understands that flu vaccination is not made mandatory, and there are exceptions to the covid vaccination requirement for medical reasons.

Each of the four UK nations makes its own decisions on this subject.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not made any proposals to make Covid Jabs mandatory for NHS workers or nursing home staff.

Last month, Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC that he was focusing on mandatory vaccination for NHS staff in England.

He said he did not want the NHS staff to lose, but said the experience in the social security sector was that the numbers receiving vaccinations "absolutely went up" after it became mandatory.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents England's NHS trust, urged the government to think carefully about the tone of each announcement, saying non-vaccinated staff should not be scolded or denigrated.

"We understand why people are reluctant to get vaccinated. We need to win the argument with them instead of beating them up," he told BBC Radio 4's Today, saying peer-to-peer talks were the best way. to convince people.

The possibility of losing staff was a "real problem" because the NHS runs on fine margins and already relies on staff to work extra shifts, he added.

He called on the government to work closely with NHS trusts to try to avoid staffing.

The decision was made after Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he was referring to the idea of ​​mandatory covid vaccinations for NHS staff.

Patient safety, he argued, was in his view the central issue.

But health professionals - while expressing support for the idea - have also made reservations.

Losing key employees at a time of concern about staff gaps is clearly a concern for NHS bosses.

They have no doubt been following developments in the Adult Social Services sector, where there is a deadline later this week for staff to be double-jabbed in England.

There have been warnings of resignation among nursing home workers who do not want to be vaccinated.

Health associations do not like mandatory vaccination and would argue that persuasion rather than force is the best way.

The question is whether such a move in England alienates staff who are already feeling the strain of growing pressure on the front lines.

It remains to be seen whether public opinion is sympathetic to vaccination-reluctant staff or more concerned about ensuring that patients are treated by people with protection against the virus.