Government U-turn on mandatory Covid vaccine branded 'a joke' and 'too late' by care homes

A care home boss, which lost highly experienced care staff due to the mandatory vaccine policy that came into force last November, has branded the government’s U-turn on the mandate “a joke” and says it shows “a complete lack of foresight and planning”.

On the same day as the Sue Gray report was published into lockdown parties at No 10, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid revealed the government is removing the legal requirement for all health and social care staff in England to be double jabbed against COVID-19.

The mandate for care home staff came into force on 11 November and led to thousands of care workers being sacked and care homes plunged into a workforce crisis.

The same regulations were due to be implemented from 1 April for all NHS workers and all home care staff in England.

Around 40,000 care home staff have lost their jobs since the vaccination was made compulsory and it was estimated the NHS would be hit by a loss of over 70,000 frontline staff if the mandate was introduced in April. Around a fifth of the homecare workforce equating to over 75,000 people were also predicted to quit rather than have the jab.

'It is no longer proportionate' to have 'no jab no job' policy

Yesterday evening, Sajid Javid announced to the House of Commons: “While vaccination remains our very best line of defence against COVID-19, I believe it is no longer proportionate to require Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment through statute.

“So, Madam Deputy Speaker, today I am announcing that we will launch a consultation on ending Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment in health and all social care settings.

“Subject to the responses – and the will of this House – the Government will revoke the regulations.

“I have always been clear that our rules must remain proportionate and balanced – and of course, should we see another dramatic change in the virus, it would be responsible to review this policy again.”

Mr Javid explained the U-turn was due to a return to Plan A with face coverings no longer mandatory and the limit lifted on visitors allowed into care homes. He added that when the government consulted on the mandate for NHS and home care staff “the evidence showed that vaccine effectiveness against infection from the dominant Delta variant has been, or was, between 65 and 80 percent depending on which vaccines you had received”.

Since then Omicron has become the dominant variant, representing over 96 percent of infections, and being “intrinsically less severe”.

Mr Javid added: “We have to consider the impact on the workforce in NHS and social care settings. Especially at a time when we already had a shortage of workers and near full employment across the economy.”

The announcement has been welcomed by the health and social care sector but care homes are angry that their concerns over how the mandate would impact on them fell on deaf ears.

'The damage has already been done as we have lost staff'

Neil Russell, chair of PJ Care, which provides specialist neurological care to residents with progressive conditions such as dementia, acquired brain injury and Huntington’s disease, said: “The government’s u-turn on mandatory vaccinations is a joke. The residential care sector warned the government what would happen if they tried to impose mandatory vaccinations on NHS staff after what happened in social care.

“Needing to change the law at this late stage shows a complete lack of foresight and planning.

“For us in the care home sector, the damage has already been done as we have lost staff and most will not want to come back after the way they feel they have been treated over this issue.”

A care home worker in London who was sacked after refusing to have the mandatory Covid vaccine, said she is “very angry that so many carers lost their jobs” as “many like myself walked away from a job we loved”.

“I am so angry because they did this backtracking just for the NHS, not for care homes, but they could not keep the mandatory vaccine for just carers only.

“I am considering going back but hesitant as I still do not believe this Covid stuff is over.”

'Care homes have been the scapegoat'

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents care homes in England, voiced the thoughts of many in the care sector, saying: “Care homes have been the scapegoat and whilst the government claims that health and social care are the same system it is clear that they are operating under different standards; once again social care is the poor relation.”

Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum called for an apology from the government to care staff who lost their jobs due to the vaccine mandate and to care providers who had to enforce “a chaotic policy that is now considered obsolete”.

“The government has consistently chosen to ignore the advice of those who work in the care sector, and has steam rolled through a chaotic policy with long term detrimental impacts on those who work in care homes and receive care and support.

“Care homes have been the unwitting guinea pigs through the implementation of this policy, and the impact on people must not be swept under the carpet.”

She called the decision by the government welcome but added “it is vital that the government learns from this experience and makes policy decisions that are well thought-through and takes seriously the long term impact it has on people’s lives”.

'Too late in the day for thousands' who have lost their jobs

Rachel Harrison, GMB national officer, feels the government’s U-turn has come “too late in the day for thousands of workers in our care homes who have already lost their jobs because of an unrealistic vaccination policy”.

Some care home providers such as Barchester, HC-One and Advinia Health Care had already introduced a ‘no jab, no job’ policy, before the government’s mandate came into force.

Dr Sanjeev Kanoria, founder & chairman Advinia Health Care, said: “The changes to government guidelines will be a boost to care providers across the UK who are challenged by a diminishing workforce and the unfair fees being paid by local authorities that fail to cover the true cost of care.”

However he said: “For us, unless there is a medical reason, we will still ensure that all our staff are vaccinated, whilst continuing to address any concerns and apprehensions that they may have. Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our residents.”

The vaccine mandate changes will be subject to a period of consultation, parliamentary approval and will require a change to the regulations already laid.