Vaccinations when working or deployed in care homes

Following on from the announcement that the Department of Health and Social Care has published guidance on new regulations which make COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for people working or deployed in care homes from 11th November 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) has written to NHS staff, including community pharmacy contractors, on how this will be delivered operationally.

Contractors who provide services to care homes will need to:

• actively support staff to have their first COVID-19 vaccine by 16th September 2021 (as eight weeks is required between the two doses);
• carry out proactive workforce planning to ensure:
  • only staff who are vaccinated, or exempt, are deployed to a care home from 11th November 2021;
  • service provision is not disrupted once this regulation comes into force; and
• ensure that relevant staff can demonstrate to care home staff, via the NHS COVID Pass service, that they have either had two doses or are exempt.

NHSE&I has also published FAQs, which will be updated on a regular basis, to support implementation of the new regulations.

Read the NHSE&I letter and FAQs