Sign in Subscribe
Vaccination

Government Reverses Vaccine Mandate for Care Home Staff in the UK

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The UK government has announced that it will revoke the vaccine mandate for care home staff, following a month-long consultation that showed widespread support for the reversal. The policy, which was introduced in November 2021, had required frontline NHS workers and those in regulated social care settings to be double-jabbed against Covid-19 by April 1. However, the consultation found that 90% of respondents supported revoking the requirement, with only 9% opposing.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UK government will revoke the vaccine mandate for care home staff, with the new regulations coming into force on March 15, 2022.
  • The consultation found that 90% of respondents supported revoking the requirement, with only 9% opposing.
  • The policy had resulted in the loss of up to 40,000 staff in the care home sector, with over 1,500 unvaccinated care home workers ahead of the deadline.
  • The decision was welcomed by NHS leaders, including Dame Jackie Daniel, Chief Exec of the Newcastle Hospitals Trust, and union representatives, such as Clare Williams, Regional Secretary of UNISON.
  • Guy Kirk, boss of home-care firm Home Instead South East Northumberland, expressed concerns that the policy had created a "stressful time" for care providers and that the government's decision to revoke the policy was too little, too late.
  • The government acknowledged "widespread dissatisfaction" with how plans to revoke the policy were communicated.

Statistics:

  • 90% of respondents supported revoking the vaccine mandate requirement (Source: Government consultation report)
  • 9% of respondents opposed revoking the vaccine mandate requirement (Source: Government consultation report)
  • 40,000 staff lost in the care home sector due to the vaccine mandate policy (Source: Government estimates)
  • 1,500 unvaccinated care home workers ahead of the deadline (Source: NHS figures from autumn 2021)
  • 95% of staff at Home Instead South East Northumberland chose to get vaccinated (Source: Guy Kirk, Home Instead South East Northumberland)

Sources:

  • Department of Health and Social Care website
  • Government consultation report
  • ChronicleLive
  • NHS figures from autumn 2021
  • Interview with Guy Kirk, Home Instead South East Northumberland
  • Statement from Sajid Javid, Health and Social Care Secretary
  • Statement from Dame Jackie Daniel, Chief Exec of the Newcastle Hospitals Trust
  • Statement from Clare Williams, Regional Secretary of UNISON

Read more