A political split opened today over Government moves towards making it compulsory for staff at care homes for the elderly to be vaccinated.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed that discussions are under way and made clear that he personally feels staff have a “duty of care” to elderly residents.
But Labour shadow ministers and trade unions hit out at the idea, arguing that “coercion” could be counter-productive or “discriminatory”.
Just 76 per cent of staff at care homes for elderly people have been vaccinated, even though elderly people are the most vulnerable to fatal Covid-19 illness. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has urged workers to see getting vaccinated as a “professional responsibility”.
Mr Hancock told BBC Breakfast: “It’s important because those who look after people in care homes have a duty of care towards them and not every resident in a care home can be vaccinated.”
He said “no decision” had been taken, but that discussions were focussed only on staff caring for elderly people in residential accommodation. He ruled out mandatory vaccination for the general public.
Labour’s shadow social care minister Liz Kendall urged caution however, telling Today: “I would be extremely wary of going down that path because of all of these serious legal and ethical issues it raises.”
Her shadow cabinet colleague Rachel Reeves commented: “I worry coercion may do more harm than good.”
And Frances O’Grady, the Trades Union Congress leader, warned: “As well as damaging trust and employee relations, this may be discriminatory.” She said homes should give paid time off for vaccinations.
Nine in 10 residents of care homes have had the jab. Some cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, said Mr Hancock, but he conceded he wanted the figure “to be higher”.
“One of the problems is that not every elderly resident can be vaccinated, sometimes for medical reasons, and we want to give them as much protection as possible,” he told LBC.
“Now, 76% of staff having been vaccinated, that is good news, and that is good progress over the last few weeks, but there is still further to go.”
