Care staff shortages 'critical' as jab deadline looms

Care home staff must be double jabbed unless they are clinically exempt

Care staff shortages in North Yorkshire have reached a "critical" stage as a deadline for compulsory Covid vaccines looms, a council boss has warned.

County council assistant chief executive Justine Brooksbank said the situation would only worsen when new rules came into force.

More than 250 workers in the county were yet to receive a first jab, while others wanted to switch jobs, she said.

The government deadline for staff to be fully vaccinated is 11 November.

"This situation is likely to worsen the already critical staffing shortages across the county's care sector," said Ms Brooksbank.

"Adult social care is vitally important to our residents and we are pulling out all the stops to support the sector in every way possible during current challenges.

"We have done everything possible to communicate with all our care staff about the benefits of Covid-19 vaccination and to assuage any fears they may have," she added.

However, she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, 13 staff from an already-depleted workforce had served notice to leave, three had been redeployed and 12 were awaiting clinical exemption.

She said a recruitment campaign was being launched to address the "significant and growing pressures in the care system".

Sunil Kapil, who runs three care homes in North Lincolnshire, said the measures could put some people off from applying to work in the sector

In North Lincolnshire, Sunil Kapil managing director of Scunthorpe-based Kapil Care Homes, said he believed recruitment was being hindered by the decision to make vaccines mandatory for those working in care homes.

He added: "There will be people, I suspect, who aren't applying for jobs in the social care sector knowing they will have to be vaccinated.

"It hasn't helped in the already challenging recruitment environment we have at the moment."

Louise Akester, who faces losing her job in Hull, explained her reasons for not getting jabbed

In Hull, a care worker who has not been jabbed said she believed she was being forced to quit the job she loved.

Louise Akester, who cited fears about the long-term side effects of the vaccine, told the BBC that she was not being given an option.

"I don't expect everyone to understand - everyone is entitled to a difference of opinion - but mine is I don't trust it yet, [and me having the jab] will not in my view protect my residents," she added.

All vaccines used in the UK have been approved by an independent regulator.

Earlier this month, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said care home workers who were not prepared to get the Covid vaccine should get another job.

The National Care Association has urged the government to delay the jab deadline to give staff more time.

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