1,600 unjabbed NHS trust staff at risk of losing jobs

ABOUT 1,600 staff at a London NHS trust are at risk of losing their job unless they get vaccinated in the next fortnight.

Barts Health chiefs hope the threat of being made redundant will act as a “trigger point” to convince healthcare workers to come forward for their first jab.

The Government requires all front line workers, as well as non-clinical workers not directly involved in patient care but who may have face-to-face contact with patients, including porters, cleaners and receptionists, to be double-jabbed by April 1.

This means unvaccinated staff have to have their first jab by February 3 to comply with the rules, or face redeployment or dismissal.

Daniel Waldron, of Barts Health NHS Trust, said 1,600 of its 16,000plus workforce were unvaccinated. He said managers would continue to encourage uptake, before having to implement the rules, and would look to encourage staff to take annual leave or switch from front-line duties if more time was needed.

At present 89 per cent of Barts staff have had a first dose of the Covid vaccine, 84 per cent two doses and 62 per cent the booster.