Health boss says NHS will 'try to persuade' sceptical staff to get Covid-19 jab
A health boss says there are likely to be some NHS trust staff who are themselves “sceptical or positively opposed” to being vaccinated against Covid-19, but adds the organisation will do “its very best to persuade” them.
Shropshire Community Health Trust chief executive David Stout said the NHS has “no right to insist” anyone has the jab, and said busy schedules or travel difficulties may be other factors putting people off, but said it was “clearly the right thing to do” to encourage everyone.
He told the board recent figures showed 78,000 people in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin had had the first injection in the two-dose course, including 91 per cent of over-80s and approximately three quarters of Shropcom’s own workforce.
Mr Stout hailed this “phenomenal increase” in vaccination capacity, and chairman Nuala O’Kane agreed it was “very encouraging”.
Shropcom is collaborating with the county’s other NHS trusts and other health organisations on the coronavirus vaccination programme.
Mr Stout said: “It really has taken off at pace now in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, as it has nationally. Across the whole of the UK over 10 million vaccinations have been delivered, which is extraordinary when you think it’s only been running for seven-and-a-bit weeks.”
He said the county’s own tally was boosted by the opening of new sites at Ludlow Racecourse and Shrewsbury Indoor Bowling Centre.
Mr Stout said: “In terms of coverage of the first two priority groups, as of a couple of days ago we had achieved 86 per cent of care home residents having had the vaccine. Everyone’s been offered, but 86 per cent have had their jabs.
“Ninety-one percent of over-80s have had their jabs, so that’s a phenomenal increase in reach in those two groups.”
He added that the vaccine was now being delivered to over-70s, and approximately 74 per cent of Shropcom staff had received the injection as well.
Ms O’Kane asked: “Do we have any staff who are refusing the vaccine? And what is our strategy around that?”
Mr Stout said patients were being followed up, “in the same way we’ve done with flu vaccines, to understand whether it’s simply ability to get to a vaccination centre”.
He added: “It could be issues like that, busy shifts, etc. Until the Ludlow site was open it’s quite a long way from Ludlow if you haven’t got a car.
“I’m sure there will be some staff, as there are in society, who are sceptical or are positively opposed to having vaccines.
“We have no rights to insist but we will do our very best to persuade because I’m sure we would agree this is clearly the right thing to do.”
