1/13 Possible Government will announce approach on mandatory NHS staff vaccination this week. Consultation has now closed. A complex issue. Tweet thread follows, based on conversations with, and intelligence from, trust leaders. There are differing views in trust sector…
2/13 Our intelligence suggests c2/3 of senior trust leaders - hospitals, mental health, community & ambulance - favour mandation & 1/3 don't. Everyone agrees there are two risks to manage here, not one. Not just the risk of covid/flu cross infection from unvaccinated NHS staff….
3/13 …It’s also about managing the risk of losing unvaccinated staff when the NHS is at full stretch and carrying 93,000 vacancies. The issues currently facing social care providers illustrate the very significant scale of risk to care / patient safety if we get this wrong.
4/13 Trusts have worked incredibly hard over last few months to encourage staff take up of covid and, more recently, flu vaccination. On covid-19 jabs it’s gratifying these efforts have led to significantly higher take up rates across NHS staff vs population as a whole but…
5/13 …We know that there are still a number of staff who have yet to take up vaccinations, despite a lot of encouragement and support. There are some groups – for example women thinking of having children and staff from black communities - where take up rates are lower.
6/13 We recognise that, if Government does mandate vaccination, the messaging will need to be clear and unequivocal. That NHS staff must get vaccinated to protect patients and colleagues and that experts are clear it is safe to do so. But four other things are needed….
7/13 A. Government needs to explicitly acknowledge the risk to patient care and safety from the NHS losing unvaccinated frontline staff and publicly say they’ll do all they can to work with the NHS to manage this risk. Trust leaders want to hear Government understands this risk.
8/13 B. The Government needs to explicitly commit to working closely with trust leaders to maximise voluntary take up before any mandatory vaccination deadline is reached. With a particular emphasis on reaching staff groups with lowest current vaccination take up.
9/13 C. Government needs to get timing right. We need to maximise time available to drive voluntary take-up. Working on the basis that setting a clear deadline could, if used carefully and well, provide a new helpful spur for further conversations with those not yet vaccinated…
10/13 …We also need to avoid setting the mandatory deadline during winter months when NHS is at its most stretched. And when we cannot afford to lose staff. And when there is less time for complex, difficult, conversations on the consequences for staff of not being vaccinated.
11/13 …The Government announced in mid June that it was mandating covid vaccination for social care staff with a deadline of mid November. For reasons above, trust leaders want at least as long as this for any new NHS mandation deadline, ideally to April 2022.
12/13 D. The overall tone and approach must avoid scapegoating or denigrating those who are not currently vaccinated. Trust leaders are clear that progress up to now with vaccine hesitant staff has been based on encouragement and explanation, not coercion and control.
13/13 I'm currently due to be interviewed on these issues on @BBCBreakfast at 0710.
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