Today the Department of Health and Social Care has published the outcome of the consultation in vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care.  In what will be seen as a U-turn by many the government now proposes to revoke the law which saw social care lose a good many of it’s workforce who had refused to be vaccinated.

The regulations will revoke the requirements that CQC registered persons only permit those who are vaccinated against COVID-19, unless otherwise exempt, to be deployed for the provision of a CQC-regulated activity in health and/or social care, and to enter CQC registered care home premises.

There is set to be significant debate from within and external to social care about this decision and the impact is has had, and will have, on recruitment and retention in this already stretched sector.  Some people will be concerned about the apparent removal of one layer of safety for care home residents, while others will regard this as a risk worth taking to secure adequate staffing within the sector.  One things is certain with the revocation being imminent, thought leaders and others will be debating this hard for the next fortnight.

The regulations will come into force on 15 March in order to provide certainty for employers, their staff, patients and people who receive care or support ahead of 1 April when regulations extending the requirement to health and wider social care were due to come into force.

While not wishing to take a side in the debate, CAREIs is pleased to see the return to the sector of a good many great carers who were removed because they exercised their right to self determination.  That said we also take the view that now is a good time for registered manager to review their PPE and testing practices because regardless of this momentous decision, the simple fact of the matter is that COVID-19 has not gone away.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/revoking-vaccination-as-a-condition-of-deployment-across-all-health-and-social-care/outcome/revoking-vaccination-as-a-condition-of-deployment-across-all-health-and-social-care-consultation-response

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