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Coronavirus vaccine: one of UK's largest care home firms introduces 'no jab, no job' policy

Care UK says new staff must have received Covid vaccination before they start work
One of the UK’s largest care home operators has instituted a no jab, no job policy for new staff amid ongoing concern about vaccine take-up among care workers.
A spokesperson for Care UK, which runs 120 homes and has seen more than two-thirds of its staff vaccinated, said: “Everyone applying for a role which requires them to go into a home will be expected to have been vaccinated before they start work.”
The move comes after Barchester, which operates more than 220 private care homes, said it would insist that current staff are vaccinated, warning that if they “refuse … on non-medical grounds
Employment lawyers last night warned such a move could result in legal challenges for unfair dismissal, although Barchester stressed it might be possible to find such people work in roles away from frontline care. Mike Cain, an associate at Leigh Day, said employment tribunals would weigh the care home’s clinical safety obligations to residents against the civil liberties of any employee whose refusal to have the jab might not be an impediment to safe working.
Barchester said it expects all staff to have the vaccine by 23 April with the only exemptions on medical grounds, including pregnancy. So far 82% of its staff have received a first dose. “We are very aware of concerns around possible discrimination which is in no way our intention,” a spokesperson said. “We are doing everything possible to ensure fairness while also delivering on our duty to protect our residents, patients and staff.”
Bupa said it is still considering its policy for staff in its hospitals, care homes and dental practices. MHA, the largest not-for-profit care home chain, said it is “being explicit with new staff that we want all of our frontline colleagues to take up the vaccine” but it will not require new starters to prove it.
Unison, which represents care workers, warned any “hardline approach” risked hindering take-up. “Hesitant staff need encouraging and persuading,” said senior national care officer Gavin Edwards. “Intimidation and threats won’t deliver the results necessary for life to return to normal.”
Vaccine policies have divided the care sector. Nadra Ahmed, executive director of the National Care Association, which represents independent providers, said: “I don’t think it’s up to us to compel anyone to do it”. She added that with over 100,000 care staff vacancies, stopping current or potential staff from working was counter-productive.
Meanwhile vaccine confidence is running high more broadly across England. Results from an Imperial College/Ipsos Mori survey on Thursday showed 92% of more than 170,000 people said they had either received a jab or intended to do so.
Younger people were more hesitant, with acceptance falling from 99% in people aged 80 and over to 83% among 18- to 29-year-olds. While 93% of white people said they would accept the vaccine, the proportion dropped to 87% among Asian people and 73% among black people.
Helen Ward, professor of public health at Imperial and a senior author on the React-2 study, said some who were cautious raised concerns about fertility and pregnancy, suggesting that clearer and trusted messaging on vaccine safety was needed for women.
Marian Knight, professor of maternal and child population health at Oxford, said concerns over planned or current pregnancy were worrying. “Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is clear that women trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination and women should be reassured that there is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines will affect fertility,” she said.
“While there are no reasons to suspect safety concerns about vaccination in pregnancy, better evidence is needed to enable pregnant women to make an informed choice about whether to receive a vaccine.”
source: Robert Booth
Levant
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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