Focus must remain on increasing vaccine confidence

Commenting on the announcement that a consultation will be launched today on mandating vaccination for frontline health and social care staff in England, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “NHS organisations have been working hard to encourage uptake of the vaccination among all eligible members of the workforce and will continue to do so, especially with members of staff in groups where uptake is lower. As it stands, the vast majority of NHS staff have already chosen to be vaccinated, and the important thing is to make sure those who have yet to be vaccinated are supported to do so.

“Members will continue to emphasise education and communication with staff, which will be crucial even if the government mandates vaccination for NHS staff. We will also work closely with our trade union colleagues to address the concerns of their members and to ensure that the implementation of any decision is handled sensitively.

“We will need to understand the detail of the proposals, but the focus must remain on increasing vaccine confidence and the approach taken to date to encourage uptake through informed consent remains the preferred option.

"At the NHS Confederation we continue to strongly encourage all staff and members of the public not only to be vaccinated but to continue to take measures to reduce the risks of contracting and transmitting COVID.”