The number Warrington Hospital staff not Covid vaccinated

Across England, millions of people have been triple jabbed in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic – but tens of thousands of NHS staff are yet to have a first dose.

The latest NHS England data shows 95 per cent of the 4,719 health care workers at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had received at least one vaccination by the end of December, meaning 223 were unvaccinated at that point.

The figures also show 4,387 workers had received two jabs – 93 per cent of staff – and 3,600 had received a booster dose (76 per cent).

The statistics come as the Government is ‘looking again’ at whether to scrap mandatory jabs for frontline health and social care workers in the light of the less severe Omicron variant.

Ministers have been facing pressure to put back the requirement for staff in England to be double jabbed by April amid fears it will lead to a major staffing crisis.

The requirement for care home staff to have two doses came into force last November.

Frontline NHS and wider social care staff would need their first dose by Thursday in order to be double jabbed by April 1, and there have been protests and calls for the policy to be delayed.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid is set to meet ministers on the Covid-Operations Cabinet committee today, Monday, to confirm the U-turn, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Speaking at the end of November, when the last set of staff vaccination statistics were published, Michelle Cloney, the trust’s chief people officer, thanked staff that had received the vaccine.

The Covid-19 vaccination centre at Warrington Hospital

She said: “We are really pleased that our internal Covid-19 vaccination campaigns and Warrington and Halton Hospitals’ vaccination service have achieved staff vaccination rates that are higher than the average for NHS trusts in England.

“Since the start of the vaccination programme, we have been actively encouraging staff to take-up the Covid-19 vaccine and more recently the booster.

“Our daily vaccination clinic continues to see uptake from staff who become eligible for their booster, as well as continuing to provide opportunities for any staff who have not yet come forward for their first or second dose to be vaccinated.

“We would like to thank all hospital colleagues who have come forward to be vaccinated to protect our patients, colleagues and our communities.”

Across England, 94 per cent of healthcare workers had received at least one vaccination by December 31, meaning more than 85,000 were still unvaccinated at this point.

Nearly three-quarters of staff have received a booster jab nationally.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Health and social care workers look after the most vulnerable people in society, who could face serious health consequences if exposed to the virus.

“Ensuring staff are vaccinated is the right thing to do to protect patients and those in care.

“The vast majority of NHS staff have had the vaccine which is our best defence against Covid-19.”