Social care network ‘facing collapse if carers banned for scorning jabs’
THE fragile social care system could collapse if staff are legally required to be double jabbed as the Government currently requires, an industry expert warned last night.
Carers have been given until midnight on Thursday to have two Covid doses or be sacked.
It is thought around 60,000 staff have yet to be fully protected, meaning they will not be allowed to enter homes because of Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s “no jabs no jobs” demand.
The policy could be a hammer blow to an industry already on its knees because of a chronic staffing crisis and catastrophic for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable residents as winter starts to bite.
Mr Javid was last night urged to postpone the looming deadline, with one respected sector expert saying: “It’s never too early for a Christmas miracle.”
One care home manager warned some institutions will close if action is not taken and said: “There’s no two ways about it, they will not be able to take people in.
“All it will take this winter is for there to be an outbreak of flu or sickness and diarrhoea. Let’s say two members are staff are off – it doesn’t bear thinking about.
“I understand about keeping Covid safe, but that can’t come at the risk of exposing vulnerable people to other harms.
“How is that putting a protective arm around them?”
NHS data shows more than one in 10 care staff have still not had two coronavirus shots. Those with medical exemptions only account for a few thousand workers.
There are now 115,000 sector vacancies, a plight that prompted the Department of Health and Social Care to launch a “made with care” recruitment campaign.
In contrast, NHS staff have been told they will not be required to be fully vaccinated until Easter.
Adam Purnell, director of Social Care at the Institute of Health and Social Care Management, said: “Postponing will allow the newlyannounced recruitment campaign to be effective. It’s never too early for a Christmas miracle.
“I understand the desire to mandate. However, if we mandate to protect, yet end up losing a large portion of the social care workforce, we run the risk of putting many people living in care at further harm due to staffing shortages.
“In turn, we can delay the mandate for the NHS until April, however if we don’t have a fully functioning social care sector in place to support the NHS, then people will become unable to move into care settings – only increasing the burden on the NHS.
“We are talking about people. They aren’t bed blockers or numbers or statistics. They are people who just need to be in a safe and empowering environment so they can live their lives to the utmost.
“It’s my hope the Government will listen to the concerns of the sector and put a hiatus on Thursday’s upcoming mandate.”
The Institute of Health and Social Care Management asked providers whether they had concerns that their establishment may close because of staff shortages.
Two thirds said yes. Eight in 10 said they feared residents’ safety and wellbeing would be compromised. A manager of a home for adults with learning difficulties and mental health needs said: “Providers are really struggling. Recruitment is dire, all efforts are largely failing and then they are dealing with burnout and sickness.
“On top of that providers are turning away clients as they don’t have staff.”
A 16-week grace period started on July 22, meaning September 16 was the last date by which care home workers could have received their first jab to ensure they are fully vaccinated by Thursday.
It means around seven per cent will not be deployable as a result of the policy with estimates suggesting it will cost £100 million to recruit and train replacement staff.
Mandating the vaccine has left providers and managers convinced ministers see the sector as a Cinderella service.
NHS staff, including nurses, paramedics, consultants and dentists in England, were awarded a three per cent pay rise backdated to April in recognition for their contribution. Care staff were snubbed.
Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum, said it served to only “rub salt in the wound”.