The NHS is struggling to identify which staff have not received a Covid jab as a result of “gaping holes” in hospitals’ records, less than a week before the mandatory vaccine deadline, The Independent has learnt.
Every health service worker must have had their first vaccine dose by 3 February in order to have their second by the cut-off date of 1 April.
Despite hinting at a delay, the government is yet to announce an extension to the looming deadline, although it has been reported that ministers will meet on Monday to decide if mandatory vaccinations for NHS staff in England should be scrapped.
According to The Telegraph, ministers believe the move is justified because the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is milder than previous ones.
Until there is clearer guidance from the government, hospital managers are being forced to identify unvaccinated staff using their NHS numbers – a move criticised by experts as a “grotesque” and “gross” misuse of personal information.
In an email on 21 January, leaked to The Independent, trust leaders were told by NHS Digital that previous…
