Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what impact assessment he has undertaken of the potential effect of mandatory covid-19 vaccines on the retention of black and minority ethnic staff in the NHS.

An equality impact statement was published alongside the Government’s response to the consultation on vaccination as a condition of deployment. This set out that if the policy is implemented and workers do not take up the offer of vaccination, a higher proportion of staff from ethnic minority groups could be unable to satisfy their employers that they can be deployed in accordance with the requirements of the regulations.

The assessment also set out evidence that individuals from minority ethnic groups are at increased risk of mortality from COVID-19. Therefore, making COVID-19 vaccination a condition of deployment is likely to have a particularly beneficial effect on the outcomes of infection in some staff from ethnic groups.

The National Health Service has focused on a targeted approach to improve uptake in hesitant groups, undertaking campaigns directed towards black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in particular, as well as using the booster campaign as an opportunity to re-engage staff.