How many staff have still not been vaccinated in Lancashire health trusts?

Data prepared by the JPIMedia Data Team showed that across two of Lancashire's main hospital trusts 1,392 health care staff had not had any vaccinations up to September 30. At the North West Ambulance Service Trust 622 health care staff have not had any Covid vaccinations.

The figures come as the Government announced all frontline NHS workers and social care staff will need to have Covid-19 vaccinations in England by April 1 if they wish to continue in their jobs.

But Health Secretary Sajid Javid said this afternoon that those who do not have face-to-face contact with patients or who are medically exempt will not be required to have two doses of a Covid jab.

In the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust which includes Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley Hospital out of 11,256 NHS health care workers 779 had not had any vaccination. In total 10,091 (89.60 per cent) had had two vaccinations with 10,477 having at least one.

The statistics from our Data Team refer to vaccinations recorded from December 8, 2020 to September 30, 2021 and refer to all health care workers, not just frontline workers, recorded on the NHS electronic staff record.

In the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, which offers specialist services ranging from mental health, falls prevention, diabetic care and podiatry, 613 staff had not had any vaccination by the end of September. Out of 8047 NHS workers 7,161 had had two Covid vaccinations and and 7,434 had had at least one vaccination. That means 89 per cent of the workers had had both vaccinations and 92.4 per cent at least one vaccination.

Meanwhile at the North West Ambulance Service Trust 622 staff have not had any vaccination. Out of its 6,768 NHS health care workers 6,146 have had at least one vaccination and of those 5,910 went on to have a second vaccination.

Sajid Javid said the new policy will apply to health and wider social care settings regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The Department of Health and Social Care said the regulations cover health and social care workers who have direct, face-to-face contact with people while providing care, such as doctors, nurses, dentists and domiciliary care workers.

They will also apply to ancillary staff such as porters or receptionists who may have social contact with patients but are not directly involved in their care.

Care home workers in England have already been told they must be fully vaccinated by the deadline of this Thursday.

Mr Javid told MPs the decision to make Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory for NHS staff does not mean the Government does not recognise concerns about “workforce pressures” this winter.

He added: “Allow me to be clear that no-one in the NHS or care that is currently unvaccinated should be scapegoated, singled out or shamed.

“That would be totally unacceptable. This is about supporting them to make a positive choice to protect vulnerable people, to protect their colleagues. And of course to protect themselves.”

More than 100,000 people working in the NHS in England remain unvaccinated, the Cabinet member also told MPs.

“The take-up throughout the NHS in England is 93% of the first dose, 90% of two doses, and that does leave – the latest number I have – 103,000 people in the NHS, that work for the NHS, that are unvaccinated, so not even one jab.

“It’s hard to know what portion of that number will take up the offer of vaccination.

“If we look at what has happened with social care – care homes – since that policy was announced, there was a significant fall in the equivalent number and I think we can certainly expect that here.”

According to the Department of Health, 105,000 domiciliary care workers have not been reported as fully vaccinated.

Overall, some 92.8% of NHS workers have had their first dose and 89.9% have had both doses, while, in social care, 83.7% of domiciliary care workers have had their first dose and 74.6% have had both doses.

Mr Javid said the decision to make jabs mandatory for care home staff meant that the number of people working in care homes who have not had at least one dose had fallen from 88,000 to just 32,000 at the start of last month.

Of the consultation regarding making vaccines mandatory for NHS staff, he added: “I’ve carefully considered the responses and the evidence and I’ve concluded that the scales clearly tip to one side. The weight of the data shows our vaccinations have kept people safe and they have saved lives.”

He added that flu jabs will not be compulsory, although the issue is being kept under review.

Royal College of Nursing chief executive Pat Cullen said: “The vast majority of NHS nursing staff received the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as it was offered, having led the vaccination rollout across the UK and continuing to do so with the booster programme. With the five months until this decision takes effect, the Government and employers must continue to engage with the small minority who have chosen not to have the vaccine.”

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “The NHS has always been clear that staff should get the life-saving Covid vaccination to protect themselves, their loved ones and their patients, and the overwhelming majority have already done so."

* For more on the Government announcement see here* For an update on how many county care workers face the sack for refusing vaccination see here* The Lancashire Post is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. For unlimited access to Lancashire news and information online, you can subscribe here.