Compulsory jabs causing staffing shortage, says care home boss

Care home staff must be vaccinated by Thursday

A care home manager says she is struggling with staffing as she expects to have lost up to 11 workers over compulsory jab rules.

Staff across England's care homes have to be fully vaccinated by Thursday or face losing their jobs.

But Anita Astle, who runs Wren Hall Nursing Home in Selston, Nottinghamshire, said this was making it hard to recruit and keep staff.

She told the BBC this was having an impact on care.

"It is extremely difficult to recruit now and it has meant our staffing isn't what it was," she said.

"We're at a ratio of one member of staff to five family members when previously we were at a ratio of one to two and a half.

"I've heard people saying our staff are being uncaring but they have given up so much over the last 20 months, they're anything but."

Anita Astle said she believes in vaccination, but not in singling certain people out

She said nine staff members have left since April over the compulsory vaccines and she expected two more would have to go.

"[Firing people because of their personal choices] goes against everything that I believe in," she said.

"I believe people should have a choice, we all make our own choices based on what we think is best for us.

"Staff are leaving the sector, not only because they don't want the vaccine, they're leaving because they're being forced to have it."

Care organisations have previously warned that compulsory vaccinations could cause significant difficulties in a sector that already struggles to recruit enough people.

The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, warned compulsion was "a blunt instrument that carries its own risks".

Vaccines have also been made compulsory for all frontline NHS workers in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: "Vaccination remains the single strongest protection against COVID-19, and it is essential every health or social care worker takes up the offer of a vaccine to protect themselves, their colleagues and patients."

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