Consultation on care home staff virus jabs

Care home workers may be required to have a Covid-19 vaccination as a condition of employment to protect residents from the virus.

The Government has launched a consultation on making Covid vaccination a condition of work for people who work with elderly residents – and staff are being urged to take up offer of a vaccine now to keep themselves and those they care for safe.

Supporters of mandatory vaccinations say making it a condition of deployment would help to further protect older people living in care homes, who are among the most vulnerable to Covid-19 – with some providers already implementing similar policies.

Currently the staff vaccination rate is below 80% in 89 local authority areas – more than half – and there are 27 local authority areas with a staff vaccination rate below 70%.

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock said: “People in care homes are most at risk of suffering serious consequences of Covid-19.

“Making vaccines a condition of deployment is something many care homes have called for and the vaccine is our route out of this pandemic. We have a duty of care to those most vulnerable, so it is right we consider all options to keep people safe.”

A final decision is expected this summer.

Barchester Healthcare chief executive Dr Pete Calveley said: “We have not lightly introduced our vaccine policy, but we take the view that providing safe care is our paramount obligation.”