Portsmouth nursing home says extending Covid vaccine deadline could have helped recruitment

Thursday marked the deadline for all care home workers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Now, anyone who isn't double-jabbed cannot be employed at a CQC registered establishment.

Alison Lang, manager of Cosham Court Nursing Home, says everyone under her employ is fully vaccinated, and some have even received booster jabs.

But she believes the deadline could have been extended to run alongside the mandatory vaccination date for NHS staff, likely to be in April.

'We've got 100 per cent vaccination of staff and everyone here knows the importance of protecting our residents from Covid-19,' she said.

'One staff member declined the vaccine and unfortunately had to leave, but we all understood the situation and I believe it was handled amicably.

'But staff have been curious as to why we had an earlier vaccination deadline than NHS employees. We all work in the same industry so it shouldn't be one rule for one group and one for another - especially when there are already recruitment problems in this sector.'

Alison added that all residents at Cosham Court Nursing Home have also received booster jabs, and that staff have been 'incredibly positive' about the vaccination rationale.

Cllr Keith Mans, leader of Hampshire County Council and chairman of the local outbreak engagement board, said: ‘Being fully vaccinated offers the very best protection against Covid-19 and is vital to help protect the many vulnerable people being cared for across the county.

‘We have taken necessary steps to ensure that we are compliant and supporting the wider care home sector in Hampshire with the legislation that comes into effect today for workers in CQC registered care homes, and note that the requirement is being extended to NHS and wider social care front-line staff from April 2022.

‘In terms of the wider workforce, we will continue to follow government guidance in this regard – encouraging both our staff and the public to take up the offer of vaccination, including the booster for those eligible, to reduce the risk to individuals and those close to them, of serious illness from the virus. This is particularly important as cases rise.’

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