New legislation requiring care home staff in England to have received the double Covid-19 vaccination comes into force on 11 November 2021.
While other industries grapple with the employment, discrimination and even criminal implications of introducing ‘no-jab, no job policies’, the UK government has made the decision for the UK care sector by introducing a new mandatory vaccination law, on the grounds of protecting care home residents from the risk of death and serious illness due to Covid-19.
The amendment to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 has been passed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and is now law. Care homes that breach the new regulations face regulatory action from the Care Quality Commission.
For care sector employers, meeting the new compliance obligations by the deadline is likely to be far from straightforward, with low vaccine take up among staff an issue for many organisations and with multiple legal issues to be navigated.
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
