The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a brief consultation on the government’s U-turn over ‘no jab, no job’ Covid vaccine rules for care staff in England.
The ‘Revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care’ consultation, which closes on 16 February, seeks views on the intention to revoke the policy.
These regulations place requirements on health and social care providers relating to the vaccination of workers against Covid-19 and, in the case of care homes, individuals entering the care home premises.
DHSC said more than 1.3m social care workers in England have now taken up at least one dose of the vaccination.
As of 30 January, 96 per cent of staff in care homes have received a first dose of the vaccine and 95 per cent a second dose.
That compared to 96 per cent of all care home residents receiving two doses of the vaccine and 87 per cent having a booster jab.
“The government has listened to the best and latest clinical and scientific advice and considered how we can achieve public health and safety with the minimum number of restrictions or requirements on people’s lives,” said DHSC.
“While vaccination remains our very best line of defence against Covid-19, and all people working in health and social care settings have a professional duty to be vaccinated, the view of this government is that it is no longer proportionate to require vaccination as a condition of deployment through statute in health, care homes or other social care settings,” it added.
The ‘Revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care’ consultation survey can be found here: https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/61fd3b71f0d963706f2a7193.
