Mandatory vaccination as a condition of deployment, will be extending to all other sectors in the Health & Social Services sector including NHS (not only nursing homes) as of 1 April 2022.

• All A24Group Agency Staff must have both doses of a COVID-19 Vaccine by 1 April 2022

• Apply for your NHS COVID Pass and Submit Your Proof of Vaccination to Us  

Any staff who have not yet received their vaccine can make an appointment at one of hundreds of vaccination centres across England, through the NHS National Booking Service online, or via their GP. They can also visit their nearest walk-in centre to receive a vaccine without the need to book in advance. 

Apply for your NHS covid pass & submit your proof of vaccination to us

NHS covid pass

An NHS COVID Pass shows your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination details or test results. This is your COVID-19 status.

How to get your NHS covid pass

You can get an NHS COVID Pass digitally through the NHS App or the online NHS COVID Pass service.

You can download your digital NHS COVID Pass and print it. If you cannot apply digitally using the NHS App or online service, you can ask for an NHS COVID Pass letter to be sent to you in the post.

Send your NHS covid pass to the A24Group

In order to qualify for shifts, you must complete both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. And send a copy of your NHS COVID Pass to the A24Group at oh@a24group.com 

Key dates are as follows:

• 6 January 2022 – Regulations made. Start of the 12-week grace period. 

• 3 February 2022– staff wanting to be fully vaccinated before the deadline will need to have their first vaccination by this date (there is currently an 8-week period required between the first and second vaccination doses).  

• 1 April 2022 – all staff in scope must be fully vaccinated or have secured a medical exemption.

Who does this apply to?

• The requirement to be vaccinated will apply to all those that are deployed to undertake a CQC-regulated activity. 

• This includes any staff or volunteers who have direct face-to-face contact with people receiving care. For example, those people delivering services in hospitals, GP practices, dental practices and also those delivering CQC regulated activities as part of a social care service in a person’s home. 

• It would mean only those workers and volunteers who are fully vaccinated (or those with a medical exemption) could be deployed to deliver those services. 

Vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD)

See the full NHS guide on VCOD here.

On 6 January 2022, the Minister for Health & Social Care signed the Regulations that introduce this legal requirement. This is the final stage of the process to bring the Regulations into law. It initiates a 12-week ‘grace period’ to allow staff who are, as yet, unvaccinated time to get two doses of the vaccination before the deadline. At this time, being ‘fully vaccinated’ against COVID-19 is required (which for Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna, is currently equivalent to two doses). While it could change in future, at present flu vaccinations or third, booster vaccination, doses are not required.  

What proof will be needed by staff and visiting professionals to say they have a vaccine? 

Any staff or visiting professionals entering a care home will need to provide evidence of their vaccination or exemption status. 

They will be able to use the NHS App to prove their vaccination status. For those people who do not have access to a smart phone, they will be able to use other web-based and non-digital alternative in the form of an NHS COVID Pass letter sent to them in the post. A COVID Pass letter can be requested online via Get your NHS COVID Pass letter - NHS (www.nhs.uk) or by calling 119.  

There is an explanation of what VCOD means for community settings, including homecare, in the following: Government’s response to the Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment consultation

What happens if staff can’t have the vaccine for medical reasons?

There will be a small number of health and social care workers where the clinical advice is that the COVID-19 vaccination is not suitable for them. In such cases they will be able to apply for proof of their medical exemption status to ensure they comply with the regulations.

Information about the formal exemption process can be found here: COVID-19 medical exemptions: proving you are unable to get vaccinated - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)