Health Service Journal recently asked me to comment on the correlation between COVID19 vaccination and fitness to practise.
I understand that Sajid Javid instructed all of the health and care regulators covering England to issue an urgent statement about professional responsibilities regarding vaccination immediately after he announced the decision not to proceed with mandatory vaccination as a legal requirement forming part of CQC regulations.
Whilst the regulators have all issued statements strongly encouraging vaccination, all those who have been specifically questioned about vaccination refusal and fitness to practise have made clear that they do not consider that refusing vaccination would, in itself, amount to a fitness to practise concern. Hence, being unvaccinated will only form the basis of a fitness to practise case if it’s part of a wider concern such as lying about one’s vaccination status or knowingly attending work whilst COVID positive.
The HSJ article can be read here.