French Health Minister Olivier Veran confirmed this morning that around 3,000 healthcare workers in the country have been suspended for refusing to take a covid jab. Yesterday, vaccination became mandatory for all healthcare and care home workers.
Speaking to France’s RTL radio this morning Veran said:
“Most of the suspensions are only temporary. Many of them have decided to get vaccinated as they see that the vaccination mandate is a reality.”
According to The Telegraph, a hospital in Nice has just suspended 450 staff who refused the jab.
Meanwhile, here in the UK, care home bosses have been telling the media this morning, that they fear staff shortages will force them to close.
Today is the final day for care home staff to receive their first jab in line with the Government’s policy for the sector. Under the compulsory vaccination policy, they will lose their jobs if they do not get jabbed.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 this morning Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said:
“There’s a real crisis around recruitment in the social care sector which has, in the pandemic, gotten a lot worse. Lots of things the Government has done, including the mandatory vaccination process, hasn’t helped…
Care homes are now in a difficult position, facing the reality of do they have enough staff to maintain safety and quality of care? They are in the position of either having to transgress the law or expose people they support to levels of staffing that are not going to deliver the safety you’re required to.
There’s the inevitability that in some areas, if you can’t get the staff, then there will be care homes that close.”