covid vaccine to be required for England care home staff

Covid vaccinations are to become compulsory for staff in care homes for older people in England, the BBC has been told.

Care staff are expected to be given 16 weeks to have the jab - or face being redeployed away from frontline care or losing their jobs.

The move, first reported in the Guardian, is expected to be announced by the government in the next few days.

Consultations will begin on a similar rule for other health and care staff.

Care organisations have warned that compulsory vaccinations could cause significant difficulties in a sector that already struggles to recruit enough people…

Mike Padgham, chairman of the Independent Care Group (ICG) which represents care homes in Yorkshire, said he was disappointed by the decision and concerned it could cause legal disputes for providers.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “People should be vaccinated, every member of staff should take up the vaccine, but I just think persuasion rather than coercion or compulsion is the way to deal with it.”

Mr Padgham said the sector already had a “recruitment crisis”, saying: “We’re frightened that this is going to put more people off coming into social care and that’s going to be difficult.