The government has announced that a consultation is being launched on protecting patients by mandating vaccination for frontline health and social care staff in England.

The six week consultation will look at whether requirements should apply for health and wider social care workers: those in contact with patients and people receiving care. It would mean only those who are fully vaccinated, unless medically exempt, could be deployed to deliver health and care services. The consultation will also seek views on whether flu vaccines should be a requirement for health and care workers.

The percentage of NHS trust staff who have received one dose of a Covid vaccine is around 92 per cent nationally, with 88 per cent of staff having received both doses. However, there is variation in uptake with new due data due to be published today showing that between NHS trusts, uptake rates can vary from around 78 per cent to 94 per cent for both doses.

National flu vaccination rates in the health service have increased from 14 per cent in 2002 to 76 per cent last year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Many patients being treated in hospitals and other clinical settings are most at risk of suffering serious consequences of Covid-19, and we must do what we can to protect them.

“It’s so clear to see the impact vaccines have against respiratory viruses which can be fatal to the vulnerable, and that’s why we’re exploring mandatory vaccines for both Covid-19 and flu. We will consider the responses to the consultation carefully but, whatever happens, I urge the small minority of NHS staff who have not yet been jabbed to consider getting vaccinated – for their own health as well as those around them.”