Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to fill vacancies made available through people losing their jobs in the NHS as a result of refusing to have a mandatory covid-19 vaccine.

We continue to encourage all health workers to make the positive choice to take up the COVID-19 vaccine to help protect the people they care for, themselves and their colleagues. We have implemented a 12-week grace period, allowing time for both workforce planning and for those who are not yet vaccinated against who may now wish to do so. We have set an enforcement date of 1 April 2022 to assist providers over the winter period and minimise workforce pressures. We are increasing opportunities to receive the vaccine through the booster programme such as walk-in and pop-up sites.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have written to all providers providing early guidance on vaccination as a condition of deployment to ensure smooth implementation and assist preparation and planning. Guidance has also been provided on the use of one to one conversations for all unvaccinated National Health Service staff with line managers. We are also increasing engagement with targeted communities where uptake is the lowest, including ethnic minority and faith networks to encourage healthcare workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.