MP warns plans to sack unvaccinated NHS staff will lead to crisis in local hospitals
Sacking unvaccinated hospital staff will lead to local NHS crisis, MP tells minister
On the floor of the House of Commons, South Lakes MP Tim Farron warned ministers that plans to sack NHS workers who aren't vaccinated will lead to a crisis in local hospitals.
All frontline staff are required to have both doses of the Covid vaccine by April 1 2022.
The government says that 94% of NHS staff have had both doses of their covid vaccine and that patient and colleague safety is paramount.
Speaking during Health Questions, Tim said: "Undoubtedly, additional vaccine sites in rural communities will increase vaccine uptake, which is vital.
"Would the minister agree with me though that when it comes to NHS staff, counselling and one-to-one conversations are far more effective and far more right than to do what the Government is currently planning to sack potentially 5% of hospital staff in the Morecambe Bay region and indeed across the country for those who haven't been vaccinated and cause a serious problem when it comes to capacity within the NHS?"
The Minister for Vaccine Deployment Maggie Throup hoped to reassure Mr Farron that patient safety is paramount to the plans.
"I would like to reassure the honourable gentleman that what we're talking about is patient safety and he's quite right to say that it's important to have that dialogue. I know that colleagues within the NHS are having that dialogue across the board.
"But it's also interesting to note that over 94% of NHS staff have had their vaccine and I commend them for that. But as the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty rightly said 'people who are looking after people who are very vulnerable do have a professional responsibility to get vaccinated'."