Unemployed care worker has spoken out about his feelings of being ‘betrayed’,’shunned and feeling ‘betrayed’ after the government made vaccines compulsory for employees.
All carers working in England need to have two Covid vaccinations by today. Otherwise, they could be fired. According to estimates, up to 60,000. workers won’t get the vaccines before that date.
Due to staffing shortages, unions may force hundreds of homeowners from their homes.
Prior to the outbreak, 100,000 were already out of work in this sector.
Dave Kelly (32), returned to the UK in time for the pandemic and began working at a North West care home.
Merseyside native, who said that he accepted the job because he wanted to do his bit for others. He has had only three weeks off.
Pictured
He lost his job because of the deadline set by the government for care home workers in England to double their jabbed, except if they are medically excluded.
He expressed concern for the future health of the sector.
“How does he feel right now?” he asked.
‘Most importantly, however, I am afraid for all the people who will be forced to live and work in an unregulated care system.
Kelly stated that he has become close to the families and residents of the home and received gifts and cards from them.
He said, “I used to work as an Asian guide but now I’m sitting here with gifts and cards from more than 40 families that I have helped in the last 2 years. I still help family members who lost loved ones in our care.”
He said that he felt’most annoyed’ by having to quit the service after he’d worked through the pandemic with PPE.
“I’m most upset at the fact that we’ve been permitted to operate the frontlines with very little protection, but now we’re in immediate danger?” He said.
A 15-year-old Bristol worker explained how she is now employed in Lidl because she was unable to get the Covid vaccine.
Ruslana mironova stated that the rule would cause a crisis of staff in both the NHS and care industries.
After September’s enforcement announcement, care workers had a couple months to have their shots. Ruslana however stated she was forced to resign on September 23rd.
The 46-year-old worked through the pandemic and for the past year at Badminton Place, a luxury £10m ‘all-inclusive’ care home that opened in Patchway on September 1, 2020.
Ruslana Mironova, a Bristol care worker (pictured), preemptively quit her job at Aldi to take up a position as a caretaker and stated that there would be staff shortages in both the NHS and the care sector because of the rule
Ruslana stated, “I’m very disappointed. Ruslana said, “I’ve been working as a carer for over 15 years. It’s a job I love.” We should have the freedom to choose whether or not we want to get the vaccine.
“I was there during the pandemic, when they sent patients to hospitals and didn’t test them. They had Covid. We weren’t provided with the proper PPE and the Government wasn’t concerned about safety for patients and carers.
She added, “I care about people that I care about, and I’m really dissatisfied with the Government, but not with my manager – they have to choose.”
Ruslana, who left her September job to search for work elsewhere in the NHS, said that before she took a Lidl job, Ruslana had looked into the NHS.
It was tough – how could you explain why after fifteen years of caregiving, I decided to leave the field? The result is that I’ve changed my entire career.
“I don’t fear speaking up about this. It is not fair to the 30,000 caregivers who quit their jobs, and it is not fair to the care recipients – we already have a shortage in staff for NHS and carers. Now the Government has created an even greater problem,” she said.
According to the Government, the scientific evidence suggests that the Covid-19 vaccine reduces the chance of the virus being transmitted and reduces the likelihood of it getting into the hands of care staff.
First, rules were published in June for carers. Carers had to get double vaccinations by September before enforcement began. Yesterday’s announcement for NHS staff came into force on April 1.
This requirement applies only to workers within England, while the health authorities of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland do not plan on implementing similar regulations. Ruslana questions this whole system.
“I’m not anti-vaxxer. All the vaccines I’ve received throughout my entire life have been given to me. Every year, I get the flu jab. It’s safe and has been tested over many years.
The Covid vaccine is so fast that I’m not interested in being an experimental mouse. It is impossible to assess the long-term effects, she stated.
All UK health professionals have confirmed that all Covid-19 vaccinations can be administered. This protects people from transmitting the virus and dramatically reduces the chance of being hospitalized or even dying from Covid-19.
According to the Health Secretary, Covid vaccination is required for NHS employees. He stated that the rule has also had an impact on care home staff. Since June when it was made public, there has been a drop in the number of care workers in England from 88,000 down to 32,000.
Yesterday, Javid defended his ‘no jab, no job’ policy for the NHS, which was announced this week, saying it was the ‘duty’ of NHS workers to get the jab in order to protect patients, and insisted that he does ‘not want to see anyone have to walk away from their job’.
He stated that it was all about safety for patients. “We know vaccines work. We know they lower the chance of getting infected. So, it reduces the spread and transmission of infection,” he said to BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
This virus can be deadly for anyone, regardless of whether they’re in a care home or hospital. We have a responsibility to do everything possible to help them.
Chief care officer urges No10 not to put off ‘no Jab, no Job’ policy for April due to fears of an exodus 60,000 non-vaccinated employees that will lead backfire on elderly and possibly kill them.
- Mike Padgham urged ministers to extend the deadline for workers being double-jabbed until next spring
- This would make it more comparable to the one for NHS frontline workers who aren’t required to be jabbed up until April, he said.
- He said that elderly residents might die if their homes were left without adequate staffing.
Niccii Gillett, care boss at Care said that she is ‘heartbroken” by the notes left on unvaccinated employees. Six of the 36 staff members had been fired from their Surrey home, she said.
MAILONLINE – BY LUKE ANDREWS
Today, No10 was urged by the Associated Press to postpone its controversial “no jabs, no jobs” policy regarding care home workers for April due to fears that it could lead backfiring and cause death of elderly residents.
All carers working in England will need to have two Covid vaccinations by tomorrow. If they don’t, then the job is over. Up to 60,000. Workers will be unable to get these vaccines within the deadline.
Mike Padgham (chair of Independent Care Group), which represents Yorkshire-based providers, called for ministers’ delay to next spring. That is when NHS workers must have both their vaccines.
Warning: Mandating the jabs can cause death of vulnerable residents, as homes will be left without a sufficient staffing level.
Niccii Gillett was a Surrey care home manager who said that she felt ‘heartbroken” by the notes left behind by employees who were unable to get the Covid vaccination.
According to the 37-year old, six of 36 employees had left her Woking-based home. Two of these workers had been there over seven years. All of the letters stated that they wanted to keep their jobs.
This plea was made after yesterday’s announcement that NHS workers would have to wait until April 1st for their 2 doses. The government originally intended to make mandatory vaccinations in the healthcare sector for this winter. However, the delay was caused by fears that mass exodus could occur. 103,000 have not yet received a dose.
According to Mr Padgham, the delay was necessary to assist the sector during winter and match yesterday’s timeline for the NHS.
Unions claim that hundreds upon hundreds of care homes will be closing tomorrow as a result of staff shortages. Before the outbreak, there were already 100,000 unemployed workers in this sector.
Ministers claim the policy will protect vulnerable residents. Today, a Preston care home was awarded for having all staff double-jabbed the virus.
Sajid javid denied that the deadline tomorrow would lead to elderly people dying. However, Sajid Javid insisted that the policy was manageable for this sector.
Mike Padgham, chair of Independent Care Group that represents Yorkshire providers has asked ministers to extend the deadline until April next year to meet the NHS. Sajid Javid, Health Secretary, said that care home workers had been given five months to receive the Covid vaccine.
This chart comes from Government’s assessment of the effect of double vaccination in the NHS and social care. The chart shows that the Government anticipates 38,000 social workers leaving their jobs when double-vaccination is mandatory. Unions claim that the actual number is closer to 60,000
Ministers have been repeatedly requested by senior care executives to defer the vaccination mandate. The plans could lead to a massive exodus, with home owners forced to reduce or even close their facilities.
According to estimates by the Government, 38,000 social workers will refuse the vaccine and may be forced to quit the sector.
Unions suggest that as high as 60,000 people could be fired when the mandate takes effect.
Mr Javid yesterday extended the ‘no jab, no job’ policy to frontline NHS staff — including doctors, nurses, receptionists and cleaners.
He said that it wouldn’t come into effect until April after the health chiefs had urged him to not impose the obligation during the extremely difficult winter.
Critics have decried the plan as neither necessary nor proportionate, noting that nine out of ten NHS workers and care home staff already are double-jabbed.
Ministers insist that every patient in a hospital or home deserves to be “properly protected”.
After infected patients were released from hospitals, Covid was discharged from care homes and affected them more than usual.
Official statistics show that 43,000 people in care homes died of the virus after the outbreak.
He called for the delay of the mandate for care homes and said to the Today program: “I appeal to them, to match the April deadline for health services which was set for it.
“We have to take the winter off to ensure we are able to care for our patients safely.
He said, “We must delay it because it is important to provide the best care for our patients. It’s going to be a difficult winter ahead for both the health system and us. We need to cooperate.”
He was asked whether the policy might cause death.
“We don’t know what to do when we are short of staff. Some facilities might need to decrease the number of staff they have or close.
“There is no place to go to hospital or in the community. We have the government who will not allow staff to enter for temporary visas. So all avenues to make it work appear blocked.
Ms. Gillett works as a manager in a single home, which is one of many that are seeing their staff go because of the Covid mandate.
She said: ‘The sad thing is none of them wanted to leave. Their resignation letters were heartbreaking.
“They are so thankful for all the chances and the first to leave, they gave us gifts.
“It was an extremely emotional afternoon, and my residents were devastated because they saw the person as one among them. For days, some of them even said, “I wish she could go back, but I don’t mind that she wasn’t vaccinated.”
She said that two of the people she lost were double-jabbed, but they had adverse reactions and they are now worried about whether the government will mandate booster jabs.
Below is a map showing the areas in which more than half of care home workers have not received two doses.
Miss Gillett said there is anger and frustration among staff who had wished to remain in the jobs, adding: ‘What has really aggravated people is with our residents, everything is about choice, it’s about consent — keywords that are drummed into you as soon as you enter the profession, but that choice has been taken away from my staff.’
Miss Gillett managed to hire four employees full-time, but she is still seeking part-time workers for weekend and evening shifts. However, her home is one of the luckier.
“I believe there is a lot anguish. I think people really are hanging on to as much as they can.” It’s true that larger houses are losing more of their workforce, and you can see the advertising in your locality.
“It is constant, it’s not only one or two jobs. They’re advertising double the amount because it’s such an important issue in care homes.
Javid was denied by the idea that staff shortages could cause deaths.
He stated that, “I believe certain from all we have seen while this sector will be difficult but ultimately will become a safer one.”
“If this policy was not in place, it would have the effect of ensuring that thousands of people would continue to care for very vulnerable people who are at greater risk than others from contracting this virus.
‘It’s still out there — and they would be passing that on potentially to people that are so vulnerable that it could be fatal. That should not be allowed.
Ministers were criticised when they brought in the policy for failing to publish an impact assessment — which would have laid out plans for managing a staffing crisis.
Some 76,000 people worked in senior adult care homes, and they were not hounded when the policy was first announced.
This number has fallen to 25.000, however care providers claim that mandatory jabs had a minimal effect on the uptake of the vaccines. There was not a sudden increase in vaccinations in the period leading to the deadline.
The up to 60,000 unvaccinated employees figure is based on all care homes — including those for younger adults — which were not included in the statistics.
A published impact assessment on the plans for all NHS frontline staff to be double-jabbed estimated that only 20% of 125,000 employees are unvaccinated.
The ministers also expect 73,000 to not come forward for vaccines, and will therefore lose their jobs. The medically exempt 30,000 remaining are not included.
Javid stated that the “scales clearly tip to one side” in favor of mandatory jabs. However, critics claim they are unnecessary since 90% of staff have been fully jabbed by now and 93% of them have received their first dose.
However, unvaccinated NHS workers have angrily reacted to this policy.
An intern GP stated that she would prefer to quit training than receive the vaccine.
BBC Dr Reamika East stated: “I haven’t had the jab.”
‘I had Covid and I am confident that my immunity has been greatly improved since I recently underwent it. If I’m going to visit patients, I will be happy to have my blood tested regularly.
“It is just not ethical to forbid anyone from having a medical procedure.
“If they decide for different reasons not to have this procedure, it shouldn’t be up to government to make me do so or say that I will lose my job.”