Commenting on the announcement today (Tuesday) from health secretary Sajid Javid that all NHS staff in patient-facing roles will need to be Covid double jabbed by 1 April, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said:
“This wasn’t something the government needed to do. The effective and supportive approach taken by NHS trusts has persuaded the overwhelming majority of health staff to have both Covid shots.
“Now this sledgehammer approach risks doing more harm than good. Without knowing what proportion of staff are covered by exemptions, creating a new law seems extreme. It will move effort and attention away from caring for Covid patients and clearing the backlog created by the pandemic.
“Forcing jabs in care homes has prompted an unprecedented staffing crisis. The government risks making the same mistake twice. Practical alternatives like daily testing used in other countries should have been considered.”
Notes to editors:
-UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
