Over 60,000 sign petition against mandatory Covid vaccine for care home staff

Over 60,000 people have signed a petition against the plan by the government to make the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for care home workers, which says health and social care workers should be ‘given the right to exercise free will in relation to any medical procedure’.

The petition, on the UK Government and Parliament website, by David Richards, states care workers ‘should be able to refuse to take the Covid-19 vaccination without fear of facing discrimination at work or in wider society’.

The announcement by the government to make the Covid vaccine compulsory for all staff in all care homes in England has been criticised by VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group) as “potentially divisive”.

The new law covers care homes for people with learning disabilities as well as people aged 65 and over.

Dr Rhidian Hughes, chief executive of VODG, said: “Given the potential divisiveness of this proposal, we would urge the government to tread carefully and work with people who use services, the workforce, providers, and commissioners to fully understand how best to implement.”

He added that “there is a risk that this proposal, while noble in its intent, will only serve to create much larger problems for services already under strain”.

The union GMB warns it could lead to a mass exodus from the care sector, with Rachel Harrison, its National Officer, saying: “This looks like another potential avoidable mess. We’ve told Ministers that more than a third of our members in social care would consider packing their jobs in if vaccines were mandated. They can’t now say they weren’t warned."

Mandatory vaccinations could trigger 'devastating staff shortages'

Karolina Gerlich, chief executive of The Care Workers’ Charity, also voiced concerns it could cause people to leave the care sector saying: "This move will undoubtedly lead to severe and devastating staff shortages, as many choose to leave the sector - with care staff feeling that their views are not being respected or heard.

"Compulsory vaccinations will only serve to further alienate our wonderful social care workforce that, despite their incredible work, feel side-lined, undervalued and ignored."

The government has said that from October, anyone working in a CQC (Care Quality Commission) registered care home will have four months to be fully vaccinated with two Covid-19 doses.

Anyone coming to the care home in a work capacity, such as healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors will also have to follow the new regulations, unless they have a medical exemption. The new law will apply to all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider (on a full-time or part-time basis), those employed by an agency as well as volunteers.

There will be exceptions for visiting family and friends, under 18s, emergency services and people undertaking urgent maintenance work.

The government is planning to hold a further consultation on whether to make the Covid vaccine compulsory in domiciliary care and other healthcare settings.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “Vaccines save lives and while staff and residents in care homes have been prioritised and the majority are now vaccinated we need to do everything we can to keep reducing the risk.

“Through our consultation we have listened to the experiences and concerns of providers and people living and working in care homes to help shape our approach."

'Only right we take every possible step to protect those most at risk'

Minister for Care, Helen Whately added: "The vaccine is working, with over 14,000 lives saved so far. It’s only right that we take every possible step to protect those most at risk now and in the long term."

The Social Care Working Group of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advises an uptake rate for one dose of 80 per cent in staff and 90 per cent in residents in each individual care home setting is needed to provide a minimum level of protection against outbreaks of COVID-19.

While the majority of care home workers have now been vaccinated, only 65 per cent of care homes in England for older people are currently meeting the minimum level of staff uptake for one dose needed to reduce the risk of outbreaks in these high-risk care settings. The figure is as low as 44 per cent in care homes in London.

Some care homes have already adopted policy of mandatory vaccination

Some care homes have already gone down the route of mandatory vaccination for its care workers. Barchester is one of these and its chief executive Dr Pete Calveley, said: “We believe that we should all do whatever possible to protect the most vulnerable of society, therefore we welcome the government’s proposal to require everyone working in a care home to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

“We took the decision in February that staff working in a Barchester care home or hospital must be vaccinated and we have carried out extensive engagement programmes with staff, as well as 1-1 support to encourage this. As a result we are seeing strong uptake and positive engagement with Covid-19 vaccination, and we are delighted that the outcome is that 99 per cent of our staff are willing to have the vaccine.”

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) claims there was a very high level of engagement with the consultation from care home staff, providers, stakeholders, residents and their families, in addition to the wider public, receiving over 13,500 responses.

To view the petition click here.

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