Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 03 May 2024 at 22:45
Regulations to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will take effect on 1 April 2022 for all NHS and social care staff in patient-facing roles.
If you are in a role that is classed as ‘ CQC Regulated activity’ and a patient-facing role, you will only be able to continue working that role, if you are double vaccinated by the 31st March, 2022. If you fall within exemptions listed in the VCOD regulations you will also need to engage in the Trust redeployment process and secure a substantive role.
If you have not been vaccinated, you must have your first vaccine by 3 February 2022, in order to be fully vaccinated before the deadline of 31st March 2022, which would the last available day to receive the second dose.
If you contract COVID between now and the 3 February, you will need to ascertain a Covid Exception Pass from the 119 call Centre and submit this to your line manager. If you are intending to have the vaccines, please remember you will need to wait 28 days after contracting the virus to have your first vaccination, meaning you won’t be fully vaccinated by the deadline of 31 March 2022. You would then have to stand down and undertake alternative duties, returning to your patient facing role once fully vaccinated.
With the deadline fast approaching, it is important that you carefully consider your options. Support is available to you through your line manager and we are also running a series of live Q&A sessions for you to raise and discuss any concerns.
Please join one of the VCOD dedicated Q&A sessions with the Exec below:
The NHSEI national team is also running the following Q and A sessions:
To register, go to https://www.events.england.nhs.uk/events/staff-vaccination-daily-q-and-a
NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) have published some FAQs for Vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD) for healthcare workers, you can read them here.
Please be aware that not being vaccinated will mean that you will not be able to undertake a frontline role from 1 April 2022. There are likely to be limited options for redeploying staff across the Trust into non-CQC regulated activity roles. Please be aware that if you do not have the vaccinations by the stipulated timeframe, this may lead to the Trust unfortunately ending your employment contract on the 1st April 2022, as the regulations are very clear that we cannot employ or engage someone in the provision of a CQC-regulated activity, and where they have direct, face to face contact with patients and/or service users, beyond 1 April 2022.
Published 20th January 2022