Hospitals in England could continue to employ unvaccinated NHS healthcare workers beyond the April deadline if not doing so risks leaving them dangerously understaffed.

The Care Quality Commission said that would implement the government diktat for mandatory jabs ‘fairly and proportionately’, amid ongoing concerns that it will exacerbate the existing staff crisis within the NHS.

The comments come only days before the deadline for all NHS staff in England who have direct contact with patients to have their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, in order to complete the course before 1 April, or risk losing their job.

It is reported that approximately 80,000 frontline NHS workers have still not had a first dose and the NHS already has 93,000 vacancies, including 40,000 for nurses.

Ted Baker, CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, said: “We will work with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to ensure that this government legislation is implemented fairly and proportionately when it comes into effect. New regulations requiring registered healthcare providers to only deploy fully vaccinated staff in patient-facing roles do not supersede other regulatory requirements and hospital trusts may need to make difficult risk-based decisions in order to determine the safest possible approach in different circumstances.”