Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that staffing levels in the NHS do not become critical as a result of the mandatory covid-19 vaccine programme.

We continue to encourage all health workers to make the positive choice to take up the COVID-19 vaccine to help protect the people they care for, themselves and their colleagues. We have implemented a 12-week grace period, allowing time for workforce planning and for staff who are not yet vaccinated who may now wish to do so. We have set an enforcement date of 1 April 2022 to assist providers over the winter period and minimise workforce pressures. We are increasing opportunities to receive the vaccine through the booster programme such as walk-in and pop-up sites.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have written to all providers providing early guidance on vaccination as a condition of deployment to ensure smooth implementation and assist preparation and planning. Guidance has also been provided for managers on the use of one-to-one conversations with all unvaccinated National Health Service staff. We are also increasing engagement with targeted communities where uptake is lowest, including ethnic minority and faith networks to encourage healthcare workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Since the Government consulted on the policy in September, the latest data shows a net increase of over 75,000 NHS trust healthcare workers vaccinated with a first dose.