Hospital and GP pharmacists will face compulsory COVID-19 vaccination by April 2022.

Pharmacists working in UK hospitals and general clinics will face the mandatory requirement of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from April 1, 2022, the Minister of Health said.

This decision follows a government consultation published on September 9, 2021 that proposed requiring all staff to provide services regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Completely vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza and continue to work on the front lines..

CQC regulates services provided by general practice and hospitals, but not services provided by local pharmacies.

Sajid Javid, who spoke at the House of Commons on November 9, 2021, said that NHS staff employed under CQC regulations must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 1, 2022. However, I have confirmed that I do not need to be vaccinated against influenza. Continue their frontline work.

He said the decision to require COVID-19 vaccination was due to the “twin’s responsibility” of the health care worker to the safety of the patient and the safety of other health care workers.

“We must avoid preventable harm, protect NHS patients, protect NHS colleagues, and of course NHS itself.

“Only colleagues who can show that they are fully vaccinated with COVID-19 can be hired or engaged in these environments,” he said.

Javid added that people who are not in direct contact with the patient or who are medically exempt do not need to be vaccinated with COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

He also said, “90% [of NHS staff] I was vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine at least twice. “

Despite the new requirements, the Ministry of Health Impact survey One policy is that 126,000 staff across health and social care remain unvaccinated and recruiting the NHS could cost between £ 162m and £ 379m. Stated.

According to the result from Of the pharmaceutical journal In the 2021 Salary and Job Satisfaction Survey, 98% of 1,028 respondents said they had been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

Of the 843 pharmacists who stated in which sector they worked. Primary care network pharmacists had the highest percentage of respondents who said they were not vaccinated (2 out of 41).

Of the 402 regional pharmacists who responded to the survey, eight said they were not vaccinated and said it was due to concerns about long-term side effects, while another pharmacist allowed vaccination leave. Said it wasn’t. ..

In response to government consultations, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) stated on October 26, 2021: COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory For health staff, “informed choices about health interventions are more beneficial in the long run than implementing them.”

After announcing the mandatory vaccination, Thorrun Govind, chair of the RPS English Pharmacy Board, said: We believe that COVID-19 vaccination should be treated and provided in the same way as part of the work at the NHS and requires supportive involvement and education as to why this is important. I am.

“The ethical implications of this regulation need to be considered, such as the right of an individual to decide and agree on what treatment to receive. Consent is a fundamental principle of good medical care and professional practice, so vaccination It also affects the people who provide it and puts them in a difficult position.

“We are concerned that this policy will exclude people from the front-line care of systems that are under pressure and can affect patient care. We also live in poor areas. Working people are least likely to be vaccinated, which can increase inequality across the workforce, and thus provide care in these areas will be reduced accordingly. “

However, according to a survey of RPS members conducted in collaboration with the British Pharmacy Technician Association, 53% of the 2,211 respondents are mandatory and just under one-third (31%) are “highly recommended” vaccines. It is an inoculation and 16% say it should. It is an option.

Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive Officer of the NHS England, said:

“We will continue to work with the NHS organization to help unvaccinated staff receive evergreen offers.”

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