Following the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s decision to consult on removing the legal requirement for COVID vaccinations for health and care professionals in England from April 2022, Together for Short Lives has called on the government to make sure children’s palliative care services are safely and sustainably staffed in hospitals, children’s hospices and in the community.
Andy Fletcher, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives, said:
“Many children who are identified as clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable are those who have serious and complex health conditions and need palliative care. Children’s palliative care services and those working in them have an important responsibility to provide the safest possible care to these children. Unless they are medically exempt, workers can help to reduce their risk of contracting or infecting children and families with COVID and flu by making sure that they are vaccinated.”
“As was the case in November, when the government decided to introduce the policy of mandatory vaccinations for professionals, I remain concerned that children’s palliative care cannot afford to lose any clinical staff. Children’s palliative care teams are typically small; even low numbers of workers leaving would put them under more pressure than they are already under.”
“Removing the policy of vaccination as a condition of deployment would remove this short-term pressure on children’s palliative care providers. However, ministers should recognise the time and resources that provider organisations have already spent holding challenging conversations with staff about the implications of not being vaccinated as a result of this policy.
“It is crucial that government now supports children’s palliative care providers, including voluntary sector organisations such as children’s hospices, to fill workforce gaps among nurses, specialist consultants and other workers.”
“Other measures, such as regular COVID testing, sufficient personal protective equipment for children’s palliative care providers, hand washing and ventilation, should also be maintained.”
“Removing the policy of vaccination as a condition of deployment would remove this short-term pressure on children’s palliative care providers. However, ministers should recognise the time and resources that provider organisations have already spent holding challenging conversations with staff about the implications of not being vaccinated as a result of this policy.
Andy Fletcher, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives