COVID-19: Mandatory Jabs Will Be Introduced For Frontline NHS Staff In England From April, Sajid Javid Says

Mandatory COVID-19 jabs will be introduced from April for frontline NHS staff in England and those who work in social care, Sajid Javid has announced.

Announcing the move in the Commons, the health secretary said he had considered responses to a consultation and advice from officials and NHS leaders in making the decision.

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"We must avoid preventable harm and protect patients in the NHS, protect colleagues in the NHS and of course protect the NHS itself," he told MPs.

Mr Javid said 90% of NHS staff have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, although he added that in some trusts the figure is "closer to 80%".

Latest data shows that over 103,000 staff in the health service in England remained unvaccinated, as well as 105,000 domiciliary care workers.

"It's hard to know what portion of that number will take up the offer of vaccination," Mr Javid said.

"If we look at what has happened with social care, care homes, since that policy was announced, there was a significant fall in the equivalent number and I think we can certainly expect that here."

The mandate applies to health and wider social care settings regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

Doctors, nurses, dentists and domiciliary care workers will be affected by the move, as will ancillary staff like porters and receptionists who may have contact with patients but are not involved directly in their care.

Volunteers are also affected.

Only those who do not have face-to-face contact with patients or who are medically exempt will not be required to get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the health secretary said staff would not be required to have a winter flu jab, although this remains under review.

Mr Javid insisted the decision to move ahead with compulsory COVID vaccines for NHS staff does not mean the government was ignoring concerns about "workforce pressures" this winter.

"It's with this in mind that we've chosen for the condition not to come into force until 12 weeks after parliamentary approval, allowing time for remaining colleagues to make the positive choice to protect themselves of those around them, and time for workforce planning," he said.

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the party wanted to see NHS staff vaccinated, but urged the government to "proceed with caution" given the potential for staff shortages.

"There will be anxiety at trust level that a policy, however laudable in principle, could exacerbate some of these chronic understaffing problems - we simply cannot afford to lose thousands of NHS staff overnight," he said.

COVID vaccines for care home workers have already been made compulsory - with a deadline of Thursday for them to be fully vaccinated.

Mr Javid told MPs that since this announcement was made in June, the number of care home workers who have not had at least one dose has fallen from 88,000 to 32,000.

Royal College of Nursing chief executive Pat Cullen said the "vast majority" of nursing staff in the NHS had received a jab "as soon as it was offered.

"With the five months until this decision takes effect, the government and employers must continue to engage with the small minority who have chosen not to have the vaccine," she said.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: "The NHS has always been clear that staff should get the life-saving COVID vaccination to protect themselves, their loved ones and their patients, and the overwhelming majority have already done so.

"Working with NHS organisations, we will continue to support staff who have not yet received the vaccination to take up the evergreen offer."

© Sky News 2021