Responding to the government's announcement of the consultation launch on mandatory COVID-19 and flu jabs for all health and care staff, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

"Mandatory staff vaccination raises complex employment, legal, ethical, and practical questions.

"Trust leaders understand the vital importance of protecting patients and staff in healthcare settings, and have already seen extremely high take up of both the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu jab – in many cases above 90%. Vaccination rates for NHS staff continue to be higher than for the general public.

"NHS trusts have delivered this by working hard to support staff who have been unsure or hesitant about having the vaccine. They have shared with them information about the benefits of vaccinations and dispelled the myths surrounding them. Trust leaders tell us that taking a rational, calm approach, based on individual discussions, has resulted in significant increases in uptake rates.

We know that there is a wide range of views on this approach. Some favour the mandatory approach and others question whether the introduction of mandatory vaccination for the flu and COVID-19 jab for NHS staff is the right approach to take at this point in time.

Saffron Cordery    Deputy Chief Executive

"We know that there is a wide range of views on this approach. Some favour the mandatory approach and others question whether the introduction of mandatory vaccination for the flu and COVID-19 jab for NHS staff is the right approach to take at this point in time.

"There are alternative approaches – including continuing to invest in individual conversations and requiring a flu or COVID-19 injection as a condition of employment for all new entrants to the NHS. Such approaches are very different to retrospectively imposing this condition for all existing employees.

"Should the government choose to proceed, it will need to fully consider the consequences of mandatory vaccinations, including the potential impact on trusts for suspending and dismissing staff who refuse to be vaccinated, redeploying them away from the frontline, at a time when the NHS already has significant staff shortages."