Mandatory Vaccinations for Care Staff– is this a pre-requisite or should staff be given the choice?

The Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation comes to an end this Friday 21^st May; individuals and organisations were given the choice to have ‘their say’ on the matter during this process.  It will be interesting to establish whether the feedback does in fact force the issue of mandatory vaccinations for staff in care and residential homes.  

Mandatory vaccinations for care staff who work within a ‘Carer’ capacity is a very topical and relevant question; one that has in some cases, sparked some heated debates between different groups.   

Why is this consultation taking place? 

Low uptake of the vaccine

Interestingly, one of the reasons why the consultation was initiated was due to the low uptake of the vaccination in certain local authorities.  It was reported in the Care Home Professional that the vaccination rate for staff at older care homes was below the recommended level set by scientists in more than half of England’s local authorities.  

At the time the South African variant was spreading amongst homes in the South Lambeth Local Authority (LA) which caused concern as the uptake of the vaccine was low in that particular LA.  According to the BBC, 23 cases of a South African COVID variant had been in found in the care home. Similarly, we now have cases of the Indian variant of COVID which will no doubt raise some questions over the uptake of the vaccine, if cases spike in particular towns or cities.    

Older residents are at ‘more risk’

Due to the vulnerability of older residents, it is argued that new legislation should be introduced to make COVID vaccinations a condition of employment.  Contracts of employment may stipulate that having had a vaccination is mandatory.  

This point is reinforced by a leading care home provider, who were reported to have said that they would not hire people who refused the COVID vaccine on non-medical grounds.  At the time up to 1 in 5 care home workers were declining vaccinations at this particular care home.  The same care home group were reported to have taken the stance of ‘no jab, no job’ – harsh some may say but seen as a ‘duty of care’ by some managers.  Some individuals arguing that this is a worrying and unnerving statistic given the rate at which COVID-19 has spread within the sector and the devastating overall affect it has had within the sector. 

This was the case in mid-April at the start of this consultation it will be interesting to see how this figure changes and whether in fact mandatory vaccination measures are put in place.  

LinkedIn Poll 

Here at Keystone Care, we have a large number of knowledgeable industry leaders, connected with us on LinkedIn.  We therefore decided to run our own Poll asking them for their views on this pressing matter.  

The question posed on LinkedIn:

A government consultation is taking place about mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for staff caring for older adults, should they be mandatory?  

67% of respondents stated – YES 

33% of respondents stated – NO  

Clearly respondents of our Poll are in favour of mandatory vaccinations, many national organisations held their own Polls.  Interestingly, the United Kingdom Homecare (UKHCA) published Poll results revealed that 70 per cent of UK home care providers polled want COVID vaccination to be compulsory and a legal requirement for its domiciliary care staff.  

We now have to wait to see what changes will actually take place following the Department of Health & Social Care’s consultation on this topical yet necessary matter.