People working in CQC-registered care homes will need to be fully COVID-19 vaccinated with both doses. Care home residents will be better protected from death and serious illness, following confirmation people working in care homes will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The new legislation means from October – subject to Parliamentary approval and a subsequent 16-week grace period – anyone working in a CQC-registered care home in England for residents requiring nursing or personal care must have 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exemption.
It will apply to all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider (on a full-time or part-time basis), those employed by an agency and deployed by the care home, and volunteers deployed in the care home.
Those coming into care homes to do other work, for example healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors will also have to follow the new regulations, unless they have a medical exemption.
The Regulations provide that unvaccinated persons may still enter the premises in certain limited circumstances, including to provide emergency assistance; to visit a resident service user as a friend or relative; to visit a service user who is dying; or where is it is reasonably necessary to provide urgent maintenance or provide comfort or support to a service user in relation to a service user’s bereavement following the death of a friend or relative.
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