Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the Government’s decision to make COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for staff at care homes in England.

Care workers have been at the heart of the fight against coronavirus, working day and night to save lives. They do so much to make our health service one to be proud of and they deserve our respect, admiration, and full support.

I want everyone working in care homes to take up the vaccine, which is safe and effective, but I am not convinced by the case for compulsory vaccinations.

There are serious warnings from the care sector that the Government’s plan could exacerbate existing staff shortages and may have consequences for the quality of patient care. There are an estimated 122,000 vacancies in social care, with recruitment and retention already very difficult due to challenging conditions: pay is low for these difficult and demanding jobs, and sick pay and pensions are not universal.

Earlier this year, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine published a study emphasising the importance of vaccination remaining voluntary. It found that a move towards mandating COVID-19 vaccination is likely to negatively affect trust in the vaccination, care providers, and policymakers.

It is for these reasons that I voted against the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021. Disappointingly, the Regulations passed with the support of Government MPs. As a result, vaccination will be made a condition of working in care homes from November.

In my view, forcing care staff to choose between losing their job and taking a vaccine that they are afraid of is not the way forward. Instead, the Government need to be doing more to tackle misinformation, promote the positive benefits of taking up the vaccine and support care home staff with improved pay, terms and conditions and training.

Ministers should learn from the fantastic work of the Welsh Government, which has vaccinated a far greater proportion of health and care staff, rejected compulsory vaccinations, and instead chosen to work closely with the care sector to drive take up.

I believe we have a moral imperative not to force people to take a vaccine that they are afraid of. I urge the Government to listen to our care workforce.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP