Chief care officers are urging No10 not to abandon its “timebomb” no jab, job or immediately in order to shore up NHS and help get them through long winter months.
All care home employees must have two doses (from Thursday) of the Covid vaccination to be able to continue their job. But health leaders warn up to 60,000 employees are still yet to get two jabs — roughly a tenth of the workforce.
Nadra Ahmad, chair of National Care Association today called for Boris Johnson to go along with Health Secretary Sajid Javid and to let the government know that they are not going to allow society to hurt its most vulnerable members.
She told MailOnline: ‘It is not too late for the Secretary of State and, indeed, the Prime Minister to halt this legislation in the best interests of the people we care for.
The clock is ticking and we are in the eleventh hour. We can stop the destruction now, even though it will cause severe damage.
Ms Ahmed said the Association — which represents small and medium care providers — was hearing from councils up and down the country where the care sector is in crisis. She said that eight London homes were closed over the last five months due to staff shortages. In another area, 350 East-based employees had been fired because they weren’t vaccinated.
She said that some homes are no longer accepting NHS patients due to their understaffing. This has led to emergency patients not being able access beds at wards and has caused bedblocks.
Workers’ unions in this sector also called on Ministers to stop or cancel the plans.
Louise Akester (36), a care worker who has more than 10 years of experience, was fired today from Alderson House, Hull after failing to be vaccinated. She cried and said that it was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.
According to official statistics, more than nine out of ten workers have had two doses. Sources in the industry claim that there was only a “little” effect of the no jab, zero job policy on Covid vaccine uptake.
This comes at a time when ministers examine whether NHS workers should be required for two doses to the Covid vaccine. Although it appears unlikely, this may be introduced in April.
Below is a graph showing the number of people who were vaccinated in the care homes of over 65s. The graph shows that the vaccine was not a popular choice when it became compulsory.
Louise Akester 36 (pictured) was fired by the government because all care workers working in adult care homes who are not eligible for medical exemptions were required to be double-jabbed starting 11/11.
From November 11, social workers in care will have to receive covid vaccines. Louise Akester from Hull is shown above. She made this emotional video during her final shift at Alderson House.
Ms Ahmed said the sector was in crisis even before the requirement was brought in — with 100,000 vacancies — but now it has been left with an ‘open wound’.
She explained that “the greatest impact all of this will be on those vulnerable people we care for, and who will face an uncertain future.”
“They might end up being in the NHS’s care if they aren’t supported by other providers.”
Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, stated that it was not too late to allow the government delay the implementation of the double-jab care rule. You can also abandon it.
The ‘Ministers were told that this harsh-handed approach would do more harm than good.
Care homes could lose so many employees that it is no longer possible to keep them open. It would cause chaos and pain for elderly residents as well their families.
Ms Akester is just one of the thousands who will be made redundant by this rule.
Although she refused the vaccine the employee was examined for Covid at least three times per week. She has also been wearing PPE and has followed “all the guidelines related to infection control”.
She was tearful as she stated that the law is unfair because residents and visitors aren’t required to get double vaccinations.
Ms Akester had previously stated that the vaccine was useless for her because of insufficient information.
Meanwhile, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock argued today that NHS staff should be forced to have the jab before winter.
He wrote in The Daily Telegraph that he advised ministers not to delay compulsory jabs for doctors and nurses on the frontline.
Two jabs are not mandatory for all healthcare workers in winter. The controversial rule is not likely to become effective until April. The move will be confirmed by officials in the coming days.
Hancock was the one who made vaccines compulsory for workers in care homes. He wrote, “Having reviewed all of the evidence, I now believe we must require vaccination for everybody who works in not only social care, but also the NHS. And get it in place as quickly as possible. As we get ready for a winter of difficult decisions, we must use every resource we have in order to save our lives.
Both the Labour Frontbenchers and the NHS Industry Association have warned the Ministers against adopting this policy too soon. This could cause a mass exodus to the NHS ahead of the winter.
Hancock stated, “To my mind the logic of it is crystal clear.
“Medicine was founded on science.” The science behind the Covid vaccine has been thoroughly proven.
“Mandating use of the most scientific research isn’t controversial. It’s just common sense.
“There are people out there who believe that this is not the British way of doing things.
“But doctors already have to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B.”
“Boston’s historical precedents in compulsory vaccination can be traced back to the 1850s.”
Mr Hancock’s call comes as official figures showed a fifth of NHS staff in England are still not fully vaccinated against Covid at trusts lagging furthest behind in the rollout.
NHS England stats show that more than 1,000 people at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust still have not received two doses (79.5%).
Below is a map showing the areas in which more than half of care home workers have not received two doses.
Figures show that around 100,000 NHS employees have yet to receive at least one dose. This graph displays the percentage of people who received the first dose (blue lines) and percentages that got the second dose (orange lines).
This map displays the top 20 trust hospitals in England with the lowest percentage of fully-jabbed staff. This data was last updated on September 30th, 2018.
An ex-Health Secretary advised ministers to not delay compulsory jabs for doctors and nurses, and asked them to mandate jabs for NHS staff in winter.
Barts Health NHS Trust East London currently has 4,000 workers out of 24,000 who have yet to be fully jabbed. IThe number of frontline personnel who interacted with patients is unknown. It’s also unclear how many had been trained in medical terminology and how many worked in administrative roles.
However, nationally, 99% of NHS staff in England received the Covid vaccine.
Figures showed that more than 92% of nurses, doctors and administrators have received at least one dose. The South West and South East saw the highest levels of vaccination, while London was at its lowest.
To provide extra protection in the face of a difficult period for NHS, ministers are considering making it mandatory for hospital staff to have double-jabbed for this winter. A flu jab might also be mandatory.
It is now believed that the unions have warned them to stop threatening to fire staff members if they don’t want to risk a wave resignations. Hospitals are most likely to feel the pressure of Covid or other respiratory diseases such as flu.
According to reports, instead of imposing the requirement in April, the government plans to do so.
The ‘no jabs, no jobs’ policy in care homes has caused more damage than good. Figures suggest that some 60,000 workers will be laid off next week, putting at risk of homes becoming short-staffed. According to sources, the policy had only a’small’ effect on jab take.
Already, unions warn that Covid jabs will be made compulsory for social workers starting next week. This could cause a ‘cripple’ in the sector. It may also force homes to close.
According to figures, around 60,000 workers are not yet double-vaccinated. Homes in Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham and Westminster have the highest jab rates.
Sources from care have asked for the delay and stated that the mandatory jabs had only had a’very small’ effect on the uptake.