Birmingham care homes face losing more than 1,500 staff due to mandatory vaccine rule change

Birmingham City Council has admitted it had some homes where fewer than half its staff had been vaccinated
Already understaffed care home providers face losing thousands of unvaccinated workers when the rules change in a few weeks' timeAlready understaffed care home providers face losing thousands of unvaccinated workers when the rules change in a few weeks' time
Already understaffed care home providers face losing thousands of unvaccinated workers when the rules change in a few weeks' time

Already understaffed care home providers in Birmingham face losing 1,548 staff when the mandatory vaccine rule change comes in on November 11.

The figure, from NHS data, represents 15% of the entire city care home workforce as of September 19.

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The crisis is compounded as fewer than half of the staff in some care homes have been vaccinated.

Birmingham City Council admitted they were speaking with care homes which had less than 50% take up of the vaccine among staff and added that they were having weekly contact with those homes and others “assessed as being of high risk”.

Birmingham is the third worst affected area in England with 84.8% of care home staff vaccinated.

Doncaster has the lowest rate with 80.9% followed by Greenwich with 83.6%.

What is the vaccine rule change coming in on November 11?

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After 11 November, staff will be excluded from working in care homes if they are not fully vaccinated. To meet this deadline, the last chance for workers to get their first dose was 16 September, given the time needed between a first and second jab.

What does the NHS data show for Birmingham?

  • There are 8,313 staff in older adult care homes. Of these, 7,028  had received a first dose (84.5%) by 19 September
  • There are 1,844 staff in independent younger adult care homes. Of these 1,581 had had a first jab by 19 September (85.7%).
  • This gives a total of 10,157 staff, of which 8,609 (84.8%) were vaccinated.
  • There are 1,548 staff across both adult and younger adult care homes that have not been vaccinated (15.5%)  

The vaccination figures quoted include both permanent and agency staff employed by independent and local authority-run care homes for people aged 65 and over, and independent care homes for adults aged under 65.

Any staff employed directly by councils in younger adult care homes are missing from the figures – but the vast majority of care staff in England work for independent providers. 

The staffing crisis in care homes is being placed at added risk as a result of a small percentage of staff still declining to have the Covid vaccine.The staffing crisis in care homes is being placed at added risk as a result of a small percentage of staff still declining to have the Covid vaccine.
The staffing crisis in care homes is being placed at added risk as a result of a small percentage of staff still declining to have the Covid vaccine.

What did Birmingham City Council say?

A council spokesperson said: “Along with NHS colleagues we are working really closely with care providers to ensure they have business continuity plans in place which we are reviewing in order to assess potential risk; this includes weekly contact with those homes with less than 50 per cent vaccine uptake and those assessed as being of high risk.

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“We are also supporting providers whose staff are reluctant to be vaccinated in order to understand and address concerns, and working with NHS colleagues accordingly.”

What happens to the care home staff who are not vaccinated?

Government guidance states that providers should “explore all options” to redeploy unvaccinated staff elsewhere, but that dismissal will remain an option if this is not possible.

Staff who can prove they cannot get vaccinated for medical reasons will be exempt.

What do care home experts say?

The Local Government Association said many care home staff could get higher wages in supermarkets, and that the Government should raise wages in an extra effort to persuade them to stay and get vaccinated.

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Chairman of LGA’s community wellbeing board, David Fothergill, said: ““Care providers have undoubtedly found this new requirement challenging and the care workforce should be supported through other measures, such as increased pay or improved terms and conditions, which could form part of a long-term, sustainable solution for adult social care.”

Care England, which represents providers, warned earlier this month that the sector was “at breaking point” over recruitment and retention – even before the loss of unvaccinated workers.

Chief executive Professor Martin Green said: “The writing is on the wall and without immediate help, as given to the NHS, the social care sector will crumple and not be there to support the NHS over the winter let alone in years to come”.

Rachel Harrison, national officer of the GMB union, which represents some care staff, said bosses were now having to think about how to keep residents safe.

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"Forced vaccination of our embattled care workers is an insensitive and cruel way to address vaccine hesitancy,” she said.

"If employers and ministers are to tackle the vacancy crisis then they must drop this policy, fix poverty sick pay rates, and raise pay – GMB is demanding no less than the £15 an hour that care workers deserve.”

The double-vaccine rule also applies to visitors to care homes, with unvaccinated people set to be banned from entering from 11 November.

What does the Department of Health and Social Care say about the potential loss of staff in care homes across the country

When asked if it would be pressing ahead with the rule change, in the face of a potentially massive loss of staff.

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A spokesperson said: “Our message is clear: vaccines save lives and it is our responsibility to do everything we can to reduce the risk for vulnerable people in care homes.

“We are working closely with local authorities and care home providers to ensure there will always be enough staff with the right skills to deliver high quality care.”

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