Thank you for contacting me about measures to increase uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.
Vaccination Passports
I completely oppose any proposal that they should be required to go to the pubs or a restaurant or to engage, in fact, in any form of activity that is part of our normal lives. I am against any such move that would infringe more and more on our civil liberties at home. On that basis I will be voting against such measures if they come before us in Parliament.
The only proviso I would add is that we are talking about domestic use of such passports. It is inevitable that some Governments around the world will request proof of vaccination and/or Covid status before people travel to their countries (like those that currently demand a Yellow Fever vaccination), so there will be a demand in those circumstances for one to be available. Similarly, personal insurance companies - especially those selling life insurance and travel insurance - could quite easily demand proof of your level of risk. Currently smokers pay a higher premium for life insurance. I should imagine it is possible that the same would apply to those who have not been vaccinated against Covid.
NHS Staff.
I know that the Government is encouraging frontline workers in health and social care to be vaccinated because they are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19. They are also often working with the most vulnerable to this devastating disease. NHS England figures for the number of vaccinations up to 15th July show that 91 per cent of NHS workers have received at least one dose of vaccine, however that still does mean that around 1 in 10 NHS workers has not been vaccinated.
A range of options are being considered to encourage people to receive the vaccine. As you may know, the Government recently consulted on making COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for care home workers and this will now proceed and be put into law. The responses to the consultation made a case for extending this policy beyond care homes to other settings where people vulnerable to COVID-19 receive care, such as domiciliary care and wider healthcare settings.
Based on this evidence, the Government will launch a further public consultation on whether or not to make COVID-19 and flu vaccination a condition of deployment in healthcare and wider social care settings as well. This is a complex issue and so it is right that the Government is looking for a wide range of perspectives from across the health and care sector about whether this should be introduced and how it could be implemented.
Carers have a duty of care towards those that they look after and it is right that the Government is looking at taking robust action to protect those most vulnerable to COVID-19. It is also important to note that mandatory vaccination of those with a duty of care already exists in the form of the requirement for surgeons to have a vaccine against hepatitis B.
Social Care Workers
I appreciate your concerns and I know that the Government is encouraging frontline workers in health and social care to be vaccinated. I am told that the Department for Health and Social Care has been working to make the vaccination accessible to people living and working in care homes. Vaccination teams have visited all older age care homes in England. As of 10 June 2021, nearly 84 per cent of staff working in older adult care homes in England had received their first vaccination. Although this is an impressive figure, there remains significant variation at a regional, local and individual care home level. The Social Care Working Group of SAGE has advised uptake rates of 80 per cent in staff and 90 per cent in residents in care home settings are needed to provide a minimum level of protection against further outbreaks. As of 13 June, only 65 per cent of care homes, with residents over 65, in England, are currently meeting this dual threshold for the first dose.
That is why the Government is now taking steps to require care providers to deploy only staff who have been vaccinated within older adult care homes. This measure will protect the people most at risk in our society: around 90 per cent of those who died from COVID-19 were people over 70. The decision follows extensive consultation with care home staff, providers, residents and families.
The new legislation means that anyone working in a CQC-registered care home in England for residents requiring nursing or personal care must have 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exemption. It applies to all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider (on a full-time or part-time basis), those employed by an agency and deployed by the care home, and volunteers deployed in the care home. Those coming into care homes to do other work, for example healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors also have to follow the new regulations, unless they have a medical exemption.
The measures have been approved by the House of Commons and are subject to a 16-week grace period. I can assure you that this was debated thoroughly and many Members, including myself, scrutinised the proposals closely.
The introduction of this policy has not been taken lightly. The Government has consulted extensively, including with a wide range of valued stakeholders, and used their feedback to inform the legislation. My Ministerial colleagues recognise that some people feel that workers should have freedom of choice about vaccination, however we must continue to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
Those who do not wish to be vaccinated: I understand that guidance will be published in due course to establish how the new requirements will be implemented. The key point, however, is that there should be a fair process in which, for instance, a care home might discuss vaccination with a staff member and, indeed, look at whether there might be an alternative role for an individual if they do not want to be vaccinated. Realistically, however, there are not many roles for staff in care homes that do not involve being in the care home. After that, if the situation is still that the staff member does not wish to be vaccinated, the care home must follow the appropriate employment process.
Further Information on Exemptions: The Government proposes that individuals will be exempt from the requirement if they have an allergy or condition that the Green Book lists as a reason not to administer a vaccine. There will also be exemptions for those entering to assist with an emergency or carrying out urgent maintenance work; those under the age of 18; and clinical trial participants. I understand that the Government intends to publish further guidance to describe, in more detail, the scope and process for granting exemptions, which will continue to be informed by the Green Book, and I look forward to studying this in due course.
Impact on the workforce: I am assured that the Government recognises that there are concerns about the potential impact of the policy on maintaining safe staffing levels if staff decide to leave as a result of the policy. In their response to the consultation, the Government said: "We want to emphasise that the majority of those who work in care homes have already taken up the vaccine and we will continue to encourage people working in care homes to take up the offer going forward." It is sensible, therefore, that to mitigate the risk of an immediate effect on capacity, a 16-week grace period has been included in the regulations. This would enable the vast majority of workers to receive both vaccination doses and should therefore minimise the risk of sudden departures from the workforce. It is also welcome that the Government is looking to deliver another National Recruitment Campaign in order to attract people into the sector and promote adult social care careers.
Equality: I am assured that the Government is addressing concerns about access to vaccination and will continue to promote access for care workers and other people who are within scope of the policy to make it as easy as possible to take up the offer of vaccination. I understand this will include continuing to ensure that vaccine guidance and information is readily available in a variety of formats such as easy-read, large print and Braille, as well as being accessible via screen readers and in different languages. Tailored support will also be provided to key groups in the workforce who may be more vaccine-hesitant and therefore could be negatively impacted by the policy. This is designed to build confidence among women of childbearing age; people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups and people with concerns about the vaccine, based on religion or belief. A Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) Assessment has been published. I am satisfied that these matters have been seriously considered and addressed when forming the required legislation.
Disclosure of Vaccination Status
Employers have a responsibility to ensure that information they hold on their employees is held in a way that protects their privacy. This includes any information they may hold relating to an employee's medical history and I believe that any disclosure of this should only be with the permission of the individual concerned. I entirely understand the desire to ensure that those coming into close contact with people who are clinically vulnerable or extremely vulnerable have taken all the necessary protective steps and I would urge any healthcare staff who have not had the vaccine to book an appointment as soon as possible. Of course, at all times, regardless of vaccination status, staff should wear the necessary PPE and take safety measures to mitigate risk.
Craig Whittaker MP
July 2021