Care home firm takes jab stance

ONE of the UK’s largest care home providers has said it is considering whether staff who have refused a vaccine for non-medical reasons can continue in roles where they are in contact with residents.

Barchester Healthcare, which runs more than 200 care homes, said it is considering an option where staff make themselves “unavailable for work” in resident/patient-facing roles “by reason of their own decision” on not getting vaccinated.

The group had previously announced that it would not hire new staff if they had not had the vaccine for non-medical reasons, citing the vulnerability of its residents and patients. The Government has encouraged everyone who is called on to get the vaccine, but said it is not mandatory.

A Barchester spokesman said: “Our long-term ambition is that all patient and resident-facing staff will have the Covid-19 vaccine in order to protect both themselves and the vulnerable residents and patients in our care, and we have communicated to our teams that one option under consideration is that staff who refuse the vaccine on nonmedical grounds will, by reason of their own decision, make themselves unavailable for work.”