Getting ready for mandatory jabs
Dawn Hodgkins discusses what doctors need to know about mandatory Covid vaccines.
It is, incredibly, coming up for two years since coronavirus hit our shores.
And as a sign that the virus will likely be with us for some time, the Government has confirmed that, from 1 April 2022, Covid-19 vaccinations will be mandatory for all healthcare workers who have ‘direct face-to-face contact’ with patients, including non-clinical staff such as receptionists, porters and cleaners.
While vaccines to protect against Hepatitis B have long been strongly recommended for healthcare practitioners, this is the first time that a vaccination will become a legal requirement.
And with over 150,000 people working in the independent health-care sector, we at the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) will be supporting providers and practitioners in the coming months to ensure the sector is fully prepared to implement mandatory vaccines.
Earlier this year, the Office for National Statistics reported that more than 400 healthcare workers in England have died as a result of Covid within 28 days of a positive Covid test and, globally, the pandemic is thought to have taken the lives of 180,000 people working in healthcare.
Vaccines have been proven to play an absolutely critical role in both protecting patients and staff, as well as reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission. And to that end, we firmly support the principle of the Government’s recently announced proposals to make Covid-19 vaccination a condition of deployment in the healthcare sector.
Practical concerns
The devil is, of course, always in the detail and there are a number of practical concerns that we are working on closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England to ensure the successful implementation of the policy.
As part of NHS England’s Vaccine as a Condition Of Deployment (VCOD) Phase 2 Working Group – as well as working directly with DHSC ministers and civil servants – the IHPN is therefore working to ensure that guidance is fully applicable to the independent sector and provides a clear and usable framework for those working in it.
This will include consideration of staff groups included in the policy as well as clarity over medical and other exemptions.
For example:
Whether or not members of staff who deal with immune-suppressed patients should be prioritised in recognition of the particular vulnerabilities of that group;
The potential impacts on certain groups, including BAME staff who may be more likely to refuse the vaccine on religious or cultural grounds;
Young women who are concerned that the vaccine could affect fertility or be dangerous during pregnancy – despite evidence showing vaccines are safe in these circumstances.
Acknowledging diversity
Acknowledging the diversity of the independent healthcare sector, a particular focus of this work will be to influence policy development so that any guidance is also appropriate for non-hospital-based services.
This includes independent practitioners delivering primary and community care where there may be further complexities in implementing the policy.
Making Covid vaccines a condition of deployment in the healthcare sector also raises significant human resource and legal issues.
IHPN will urge the Government to provide clarity about the alignment between the legal requirement to be vaccinated and current employment law, and what steps will be taken to mitigate employers’ exposure to legal challenges arising from enforcing this policy.
Reduced staffing levels
We will also be working with the Care Quality Commission on how it will assess compliance with the mandatory vaccination policy, as well as its assessment of staffing levels if the numbers of available staff to provide care are reduced and cannot be replaced due to their vaccination status.
IHPN will also work to ensure that there is accurate data about vaccination rates among independent healthcare staff.
This will support the DHSC in carrying out its full impact assessment of the introduction of VCOD, and also help practitioners fully understand the position in their own organisations so that they can take appropriate action.
IHPN will be helping share good practice among independent providers and practitioners and the wider health system around increasing vaccine uptake among staff and resolving operational issues relating to the policy.
Implementation date
This will help ensure the sector is as fully prepared as possible ahead of 3 February which is the last date that a member of staff can have their first vaccination ahead of a 1 April implementation date.
Implementing mandatory Covid vaccines is undoubtedly one of the biggest current issues facing healthcare providers and practitioners. We do not doubt the significant impact it will have at a time when the health system is already under immense pressure.
But doctors should be reassured that supporting providers in the coming months to ensure they can comply with the new regulations is an absolute priority for us.
We want to help minimise any potential disruption to workforce supply and ensure that you can continue to deliver care for the millions of patients who rely on the sector every year.
Dawn Hodgkins (right) is director of regulation at the Independent Healthcare Providers Network