Much of the care home sector is a mix of NHS and private providers, but there is also a small but significant number of charitable care homes regulated by the CQC. Such care homes may need to know more about the latest developments in relation to mandatory vaccinations.
On 4 August 2021, the DHSC published its operational guidance to support the implementation of the new regulations making vaccinations mandatory in CQC registered care homes in England.
It provided some helpful clarity on the steps care home managers now need to take to implement the regulations, which from 11 November will require most people aged 18 and over entering care homes to be vaccinated, unless they have an exemption.
However, there remain a number of unanswered questions, including in relation to medical exemptions, the possibility that the obligation to consult collectively could be triggered in a number of circumstances when seeking to implement the requirements of the regulations, and the recent announcement by the JCVI that all 16 to 17-year-olds should now be offered a first dose of Pfizer vaccine.
For more information and our observations on the guidance, head over to our sister blog Health and care update
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