CALL TO ACTION: CONTACT LOCAL NHS TRUSTS AGAIN
SOME ARE STILL NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE!
Watch short explanatory Video
[or copy link to your browser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXzuRhCr-YQ]
We are hearing many awful reports from staff about discrimination, bullying and coercion continuing within many trusts and hospitals. This must be stopped. Please show your support by contacting your local NHS Trust with the letter provided below. WATCH FIRST MINUTE OF THE VIDEO ABOVE TO REMIND HOW TO GET THE RIGHT EMAIL ADDRESS - IGNORE LAST PART AS IT IS FROM AN OLDER EMAIL!
Check THIS SMARTSHEET to see if your area has a dedicated contact email address listed (only some are available)
If not, choose the appropriate email address from the list below
Copy the text from THIS LETTER [Click to download, or copy the letter reproduced in full below] into the body of the email, don't forget to add your NHS Region or the individual's name at the top, and add your name at the bottom
SEND
To [insert CEO name],
I am writing to you to express my concern and anger that despite the announcement made by the Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid on 31 January 2022, NHS employees and other healthcare workers are still being asked their vaccination status and are facing discrimination based on their vaccination status.
The Secretary of State made this oral statement in the House of Commons on Monday 31 January 2022.
“While vaccination remains our very best line of defence against COVID-19, I believe it is no longer proportionate to require vaccination as a condition of deployment through statute.”
The Secretary of State essentially made these two key points
· The government will consult for 2 weeks on introducing a new statutory instrument to repeal the VCOD 1 (care homes) and VCOD 2 (NHS and wider social care) regulations.
· The government will not enforce the regulations during this period.
Also on 31 January, NHS England sent a letter to all NHS Trusts containing this statement and indicating that the requirements to meet with and begin the process of serving notice should cease immediately.
“We are aware that, based on the guidance already issued to the service, you will have begun to prepare for formal meetings with staff on their deployment if they remain unvaccinated. This change in Government policy means we request that employers do not serve notice of termination to employees affected by the VCOD regulations. (1)
Until that consultation period is over, and the Secretary of State has signalled his intention, no healthcare workers should be placed in a position where they feel coerced or threatened with the possibility of losing their jobs or being redeployed to a role that they have not chosen because of their vaccination status.
Ministers had been repeatedly warned that the COVID-19 vaccination mandate legislation would cause significant staffing issues for the NHS and the care sector but chose not to listen. Unfortunately, much of the damage has already been done.
Thousands of care workers have been forced from jobs they love, leaving care homes struggling and affecting the welfare of residents. Sadly, many NHS workers will also have resigned from their posts ahead of the 3 February deadline rather than be coerced into taking a vaccination which they chose to decline for many legitimate reasons.
The impact of the legislation once announced worsened the staffing crisis, hampering the NHS and social care, causing significant upset to staff, and directly affecting patient care. Vast amounts of time and resources, which employers could have spent on patient care, have been needlessly wasted.
Healthcare workers have a right to free and informed consent to any medical treatment which means being entitled to decline any medical treatment. This also forms the basis of patient treatment and is a foundational pillar of medical ethics. Those who have decided not to get the COVID-19 vaccine are exercising their right to choose and many will have arrived at a decision based on their own health, underlying conditions and religious or philosophical beliefs. Any attempt to force anyone to take a COVID-19 vaccine by restricting their right to work or study deprives them of their fundamental right to choose freely what is best for them.
All NHS trusts have in place policies to ensure that their staff are protected from discrimination based on gender, age, race, sexual orientation, pregnancy. Those protections are based on fundamental principles of human rights and employment law. We insist that you apply the same principles of fairness and protection to healthcare workers who have declined to take the COVID-19 vaccine and that as employers, you will not unfairly discriminate against anyone in that group.
Furthermore, on 9 February 2022, NHS England confirmed that they had asked NHS Trusts to contact workers who had resigned before the 3 February deadline.
“It is advised that employers contact individuals who may have resigned due to the requirement to be fully vaccinated to dismiss the government’s plan to consult on revoking the regulations. This should be done as soon as possible” (2)
Affected healthcare workers will now be asked submit information that demonstrates they are being treated unfairly and discriminated against because of their vaccination status and that may be used in legal action.
In light of the above, we ask you to confirm by return that
you will treat all employees with equal dignity and respect.
you will cease all and any attempts to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate by preventing those who are unvaccinated from continuing in their current roles, applying for new jobs within the health service and from any studying related to their roles.
You will contact any former employees who have resigned owing to the threatened mandate and will seek to reinstate the wherever possible.
Yours sincerely,
[insert name]
References
4: SEND
LIST OF EMAILS FOR LETTER - CHOOSE YOUR AREA If your area is not listed, use the generic one for England at the end South East London: england.selprimarycarequeries@nhs.net South West London: england.swlprimarycare@nhs.net North Central London: england.lon-nc-pcc@nhs.net North East London: england.nel-primarycare@nhs.net North West London: england.lon-nw-pcc@nhs.net East of England: england.eastcommunications@nhs.net Midlands: england.memedia@nhs.net Greater Manchester: GM.HSCinfo@nhs.net The South East: england.secomms@nhs.net The South West: england.swcomms@nhs.net North East & Yorkshire: england.neymedia@nhs.net The North West: england.nwmedia@nhs.net Anywhere not covered above: england.contactus@nhs.net THEN: AMPLIFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA! PLEASE COPY/PASTE THE FOLLOWING POST AFTER SENDING YOUR LETTER ATTACHING THIS GRAPHIC TAG YOUR LOCAL NHS CEO ON TWITTER FROM THIS SMARTSHEET Today I wrote to my Local NHS Trust to once again to remind them that Healthcare Workers & Students have the right to decline any medical treatment.
They should in no way be discriminated against for their choice @NHSEngland @NHSProviders @NHSConfed @The_HCPC @Togetherdec SHARE ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS: Twitter: @togetherdec Instagram: @togetherdeclaration Facebook TikTok Linkedin Youtube: Healthcare Playlist GETTR Gab Telegram THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT We are stronger Together