Government to consult on removing vaccination as a condition of employment for health and social care staff

Secretary of State tells parliament that it's not only right but responsible to revisit the balance of risks and opportunities that guided the government's original decision last year.

The government has announced that it is to consult on removing vaccination as a condition of employment for health and social care staff.

In an oral statement to Parliament yesterday, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said that, since the government launched its consultation on mandatory Covid-19 and flu vaccinations for frontline health and care staff in England in September 2021 -

'... there has been a net increase of 127,000 people working in the NHS who have done the right thing and got jabbed, becoming part of the 19 out of 20 NHS workers who have done their professional duty.

During the same time, we have also seen a net increase of 32,000 people getting jabbed in social care including 22,000 people in care homes and 10,000 people working in domiciliary care.'

NB - following its consultation last year, the government announced that it would introduce regulations to only allow providers of CQC-regulated activities to deploy individuals who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to roles where they interact with patients and service users. The regulations were made on 6 January 2022.

However, in light of the Covid-19 Delta variant having been replaced by the 'intrinsically less severe' Omicron variant, and the fact that the population as a whole is now better protected against hospitalisation from Covid-19, Mr Javid said yesterday that-

'... it is not only right but responsible to revisit the balance of risks and opportunities that guided our original decision last year. While vaccination remains our very best line of defence against Covid-19, I believe it is no longer proportionate to require vaccination as a condition of deployment through statute.'

As a result, Mr Javid announced -

'... we will launch a consultation on ending vaccination as a condition of deployment in health and all social care settings.'

Mr Javid also confirmed that he has -

• written to health and social care regulators to ask them to urgently review current guidance to registrants on vaccinations, including Covid-19, so as to emphasise their professional responsibilities in this area;
• asked the NHS to review its policies on the hiring of new staff and the deployment of existing staff, taking into account their vaccination status; and
• asked Department of Health and Social Care officials to consult on updating the Code of Practice which applies to all Care Quality Commission registered providers in England.

Mr Javid's oral statement to Parliament is available from gov.uk

Update (10 February 2022) - the government has now issued its consultation on Revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care. The deadline for responding is 16 February 2022.