The Department of Health and Social Care has published its
response to its consultation on making vaccination a condition of
deployment in health and wider social care.
The government has set out in its consultation the importance of
protecting people receiving care in all health and social care
settings. It has also set out the importance of protecting our
valuable health and social care workforce.
COVID-19 continues to pose a threat to people’s health across the
country. In winter months, we can expect COVID-19 and respiratory
viruses to spread more easily, increasing risks to health,
particularly for those who are elderly or who have health
conditions. Vaccination is a safe, effective way of preventing
the spread of viruses.
Following a public consultation, the government recently
announced COVID-19 vaccination would be required of people
entering a Care Quality Commission (CQC)- registered adult care
home, unless exempt, to protect vulnerable residents. While
residents in care homes are some of the most at risk from
COVID-19, the responses to the care home consultation made a
clear case for extending this policy beyond care homes to other
settings where vulnerable people receive care and treatment.
There has already been an incredible roll-out of COVID-19
vaccination to health and social care staff, thanks to effective
leadership and collaboration across the NHS and health and care
sector.
As of 31 October 2021, more than 2.6 million health and social
care workers have now taken up the COVID-19 vaccination. Workers
have taken important steps to protect themselves, their loved
ones, and the people they care for. However, there is still more
to do.
Evidence suggests some areas of the country are less protected
than others against COVID-19. It is right that the government
acts now to ensure that those who are deployed to deliver
healthcare and social care are fully vaccinated, to help protect
the people they care for, as well as themselves and their
colleagues.
The aim of this consultation was to seek views on whether or not
the government should extend the existing statutory requirement,
for those responsible for care homes to ensure that they have
evidence that those working or volunteering in a care home have
been vaccinated against COVID-19, to other health and care
settings, as a condition of deployment.
The consultation also asked for views on whether or not the
government should introduce a statutory requirement for
registered providers to have evidence that their workers have
been vaccinated against flu as a condition of deployment.
Read the full response
