| Unions have welcomed the government’s U-turn over forcing NHS staff in England to get vaccinated against Covid or lose their jobs. Unions, whilst urging their members to be vaccinated, had opposed mandatory vaccination and were concerned at an exodus of staff who refused the jabs. RCM executive director Jon Skewes said: “Mandatory Covid vaccination was always a wrongheaded policy and it’s disappointing that it’s taken the Government until the eleventh hour to put the brakes on. While we welcome today’s decision to go out again to consultation, it will do nothing to undo the further damage to trust in this government among NHS staff, including midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs). “I fear that some midwives, MSWs and other staff may already have left because of this policy. We need to see action to encourage their return to the NHS as quickly as possible. “Now this welcome decision has been made we need to focus on encouraging unvaccinated staff to have the jab through support, discussion and engagement; the methods we and others have advocated from the start. Investing in maternity services needs to go beyond supporting existing staff to get the jab, though. We need to see the real terms investment that has been sadly lacking for far too long. From pay to premises, this investment is long overdue.” UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “This was the right thing to do. But it shouldn’t have taken the government so long to realise the huge mistake it was making. Ministers were repeatedly warned the jab rules would cause staffing chaos for the NHS and the care sector but chose not to listen. Unfortunately, much of the damage has already been done. “Thousands of care workers have been forced from jobs they love, leaving employers struggling. Many staff will also have quit the NHS ahead of this week’s deadline. These ill-thought-out rules have worsened the staffing crisis, hampering the NHS and social care, and caused significant upset. “Huge amounts of time and resources, which employers could have spent persuading staff to be vaccinated and on patient care, have been wasted. Playing politics with the vaccine risks undermining confidence. It will now be harder for employers to persuade staff to get jabbed and the unvaccinated public will be less likely to come forward.” GMB national officer Rachel Harrison said: “GMB’s position on mandatory vaccines has been consistent – we oppose legally enforced medical procedures as a condition of employment – it’s heavy-handed and will deepen the staffing crisis. “Persuasion and encouragement are how to address concerns around the vaccine. The Government’s u-turn comes 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. “It’s yet another reflection of this Ministers’ failure to deal with the staffing crisis in social care; caused by low pay and poor treatment. People are voting with their feet, choosing to work in supermarkets or warehouses instead. We need a national plan for social care and £15 an hour so these dedicated professionals can do the job the nation needs them to do.” BDA director of Trade Union and Public Affairs Annette Mansell-Green said: “This is welcome news for dietitians and other healthcare professionals who were at risk of losing not only their current role, but leaving the profession altogether. “The NHS is under serious strain as a result of staff shortages and frankly, is an exhausted and demoralised workforce. “Coming as it does at the eleventh hour, this U-turn once again shows the government’s disregard for healthcare professionals who are giving their all to support patients against the odds. “This requirement has subjected NHS staff to unnecessary stress and worry about their future at an already difficult time. The government urgently needs to rebuild trust and turn its attention to retaining staff through addressing the existing staffing crisis by guaranteeing a significant and sustainable pay rise for 2022/23.” |