Regulations requiring healthcare workers to be fully vaccinated by 1 April should no longer be applied, the Health Secretary Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP announced to Parliament on the evening of 31 January.
NHS England letter re: VCOD, 31 January
A statutory two week consultation period will take place and then the Government will move for the two statutory instruments covering VCOD in care homes and in other care settings to be nullified.
In the meantime, employers have been instructed by NHS England: “This change in Government policy means we request that employers do not serve notice of termination to employees affected by the VCOD regulations.”
The Health Secretary also told Parliament that he has written to regulators, NHS England and the CQC to request that they tighten measures and requirements for vaccinations received by staff.
In his statement to MPs last night, Mr Javid said the policy had been right in retrospect, “given the severity of Delta”.
Note: Londonwide LMCs previously issued this guidance on VCOD which was circulated as part of our January newsletter. It is no longer applicable following the announcement of 31 January.