COVID-19 vaccinations could be made 'compulsory' for care home staff in Milton Keynes

    COVID-19 vaccinations could soon be made 'compulsory' for all care home workers, according to sources from the Government.

    Earlier this year, during a meeting, the Leader of Milton Keynes Council called for a "conversation" to begin on making vaccinations mandatory for care home staff, who are in close contact with the most vulnerable members of the community.

    Cllr Pete Marland, who sits on top of the Labour and Lib Dem coalition, said that an increasing number of families of people in care homes were concerned about staff remaining unvaccinated. 

    It was established in that same meeting that it would be hard to enforce mandatory jabs at a local level, and it would instead have to come down to employers - or be pushed at a higher level by the Government.

    And it seems that this could potentially come into effect, as Whitehall sources are saying that vaccinations for care home staff will soon be a "condition of employment". 

    Sky News reports that this approach is also being considered for all NHS workers.

    This is an attempt to try and reduce transmission in hospitals and other close-contact settings. 

    A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and have already saved thousands of lives - with millions of health and care staff vaccinated.

    "Our priority is to make sure people in care homes are protected and we launched the consultation to get views on whether and how the government might take forward a new requirement for adult care home providers, looking after older people, to only deploy staff who have had a COVID-19 vaccination or have an appropriate exemption.

    "The consultation has ended and we will publish our response in due course."

    The plans are expected to be officially announced in the next few days.

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