DAUK says the decision not to offer NHS staff Covid vaccines this winter is ‘irresponsible and extremely short-sighted’.
The Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) GP committee said the decision would lead to increased staff sickness.
In a statement, the committee added that it would put them at increased risk of acute and long Covid.
Irresponsible and short-sighted
The committee said: “The decision to deny healthcare workers a free Covid vaccine this year is irresponsible and extremely short-sighted.
“Healthcare workers are offered flu vaccines every year because we are at high risk of exposure to flu and to spreading it, so why are we now excluded from Covid vaccination, other than to save money in the very short term?
“It will lead to increased staff sickness and put healthcare workers at risk of acute and long Covid.
“It will also lead to higher rates of hospital-acquired Covid, cancelled operations and procedures impacting NHS capacity – all of which is likely to make the decision more expensive in the long run.
Covid vaccination
“As Covid is surging again, some NHS trusts have brought back mask mandates, yet we are expected to pay for vaccination ourselves at some expense.
“The Government’s advice on vaccination states an ‘example price’ for a Covid vaccine of £25, but the cost of a private jab is between £75 and £99.
“If the cost doesn’t put healthcare workers off getting one, then companies will be profiteering from the Government’s decision.
“We would be very interested to know on what advice the decision was made.”
The statement has been used by Doctors.Net.UK,
Short memories
Meanwhile DAUK co-chair Dr Ellen Welch, a GP based in Cumbria, has written on the issue on the DAUK Substack.
She said: “We have very short memories when it comes to the Covid pandemic. We don’t want to remember, and understandably so.
“But when it comes to minimising the damage of new Covid waves, and indeed any new diseases that come along in the future, we need to look at what did make a difference and implement that within our organisations.”
Read Dr Welch’s Substack post in full.
DAUK committee members are all volunteers and campaign about issues facing doctors in their own time. Please support our work by joining DAUK or donating to our GoFundMe.
