Update: Vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD) for all healthcare workers

Contents

 

Classification: Official

Official Publication approval reference: C1584

To:

  • ICS leads
  • All trust (acute, community, ambulance, mental health):
    • Chief Executives
    • Chief Operating Officers
    • Chief AHPs
    • Chief Nursing Officers
    • Medical Directors
    • Chief People Officers/HR Directors
    • Chief Dental Officers
    • Chief Pharmacists
    • Directors of Estates
  • CCG accountable officers
  • CCG HR Directors
  • PCN Clinical Directors and GP providers
  • All NHS Primary Care Dental Contract Holders

CC:

  • Regional Directors
  • Regional Directors of Commissioning
  • Regional Directors of Primary Care and Public Health Commissioning
  • Regional Directors of Performance and Improvement
  • Regional Chief AHPs
  • Regional Chief Nurses
  • Regional Medical Directors
  • Regional Chief People Officers
  • Regional Chief Pharmacists
  • Regional Chief Science Officers
  • ICS chairs
  • Chairs of NHS trusts and foundation trusts
  • CCG Chairs

8 February 2022

Dear colleague

On 31 January 2022 Secretary of State announced that the Government intends to revoke the regulations requiring vaccination as a condition of deployment for healthcare workers from 1 April 2022. This is subject to Parliamentary process and will require further consultation and a vote to be passed into legislation.

Following that announcement we wrote a letter to you that requested employers do not serve notice of termination to employees affected by the VCOD regulations.

Guidance for HRDs and organisations

Today, we are sharing with you a series of Frequently Asked Questions. These FAQs include detail on recruitment and recommendations for any formal processes which may have already commenced.

Please be aware that the processes outlined in the previously published documents VCOD for healthcare workers: Phase 1 – Planning and preparation and Phase 2: VCOD Implementation have been paused.

Next steps from NHS England and NHS Improvement

Please note this is an iterative document which will be reviewed regularly to ensure any legislative changes are reflected. Feedback and queries from colleagues across the healthcare system will be considered in any future documentation

We are continuing to hold a series of Teams Topics webinars and drop-in sessions for HRDs, CPOs and managers with HR responsibilities. Where systems are organising events to support staff uptake, please continue to consider extending the invitation to primary care staff.

We very much appreciate the huge effort that has been put in to increasing the already high vaccination take-up among NHS staff, including through one-to-one conversations. The vaccine remains the best way to protect ourselves, our families, our colleagues and patients from the virus.

Please continue to remind your colleagues that our national health and wellbeing resources are here when they are needed. For line managers, winter workforce preparedness and the Leadership Academy’s #ProjectM and #Winterwarmers provide practical guidance on how to ensure our NHS people are well-supported.

Thank you for your continued hard work and support throughout the vaccination programme.

Yours sincerely

Prof Em Wilkinson-Brice | Deputy Chief People Officer

Tom Simons | Deputy Chief People Officer