Staffordshire hospitals 'don't know how many of staff have received Covid vaccine'
Bosses running hospitals in Staffordshire have revealed that while a programme to vaccinate staff against Covid is “running extremely well” they do not know precisely how many workers have received the jab.
A report to the March meeting of University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) stated that as of February 1 the hospital vaccination hub had given a total of 22,974 vaccines, 20,769 of which were the first dose.
12,901 of the vaccine total was received by staff at the trust and on February 25, after a brief closure, the hub reopened to provide second doses.
Chief executive Tracy Bullock told the meeting: “We are doing comparatively well as an organisation but there is a caveat - we don’t know how many staff have been vaccinated.
“Some will have been vaccinated through GPs, at vaccination centres and at pharmacies - they are unable to share data with us.”
Chairman David Wakefield said: “Once people have had a vaccination it goes on their GP record.
“Are they not allowed to share it with the hospital?”
“If they choose to, yes,” replied Mrs Bullock. “We are putting a lot of information out there.
“We are asking staff to come forward if they have had the vaccine.”
Mrs Bullock said that two of the trust’s hospital porters had died and Sodexo, which runs its facilities, has asked all members of its staff if they have been vaccinated.
She added that all staff at the trust have been offered a vaccine.
Excellent
The meeting report said that to date the UHNM hub has vaccinated 76 per cent of its staff in total and 63 per cent of its BAME staff “which is excellent in comparison to the regional/national uptake”.
Dr Katie Maddock, an academic pharmacist who sits on the board, said the trust was not noticing any hesitancy among staff in taking the second dose.
“Staff are anxious about not having a date for the second vaccine,” she said.
“We are consulting to reduce the time taken for a second dose to a six-week period.”
In terms of staff who refuse to take the vaccine Mrs Bullock said: “Unless it is mandated all we can do is explain why it is important and the risks of not taking it.
“Ultimately if they refuse there is little we can do about it.”
Ro Vaughan, director of human resources at the trust said that there had been an improvement in staff absence due to Covid.
“It is 36 per cent of all absence,” she said.
“It was running at 39 per cent a few weeks ago - hopefully the trend will continue.”
The director said the trust was planning a period of rest and recovery for staff in the wake of the pandemic.
“We are encouraging everyone to take some time out as best they can for that period of reflection,” she said.
“It will be different depending on the department or service.
“It is difficult in a hospital which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“Some staff will will require different initiatives.
“It may be just people getting together where they can for a chat and a cup of tea.”
The meeting heard that the trust is cautiously planning its return to normal operation.
Paul Bytheway, chief operating officer at the trust explained that with the status of its “internal incident level” reduced from Level 4 to 3 on March 1 - with the exception of critical care - preparations were being made to get medical teams back working in their usual areas.
“By March 29 it is hoped 25 of 34 theatres will be up and running at full capacity,” he said.
By Andy Kerr
