‘Vaccine rule has led to disciplinary proceedings in care homes’

CARE homes in England are embroiled in disciplinary proceedings over the UK Government’s “shambolic” mandatory vaccination policy for staff, further adding to the workforce pressures they face, a care group has said.

The National Care Forum (NCF) said a number of its members estimate they will lose about 8% of staff by tomorrow – the deadline for staff in England to get both jabs.

The situation in England differs from that in Wales, where the Welsh Government has consistently said it has no plans to make Covid vaccines mandatory for care workers or frontline NHS staff.

In England, the NCF – which represents not-for-profit care providers – carried out a snapshot survey of members between November 2 and 8. Some 43 members responded in full, which run about 300 services for more than 11,000 people and employ about 14,000 staff.

Members reported spending an “enormous amount of time” implementing the policy, with almost all holding extra staff briefings and needing additional HR resources.

The survey found that 58% of members are running disciplinary hearings and 40% managing appeals that are related to the requirement.

And 53% said they have spent money on specialist legal advice.

Members said on average 3.5% of their staff have already left as a result of resignation or dismissal, and they estimate a further 4.4% might leave.

The NCF said social care can illafford such a serious loss of staff.

The chief executive, Vic Rayner, said care homes have been the “unwitting guinea pigs” throughout the rollout of the policy, which one provider branded a “shambles”.

She said: “It is vital that the government learns from this experience and makes changes for the wider rollout of this policy.”