THE WELSH Government is not planning to make Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory for NHS staff.

UK Government health secretary Sajid Javid has said he is "leaning towards" bringing in mandatory vaccination for NHS staff in England – as around 100,000 NHS workers are not fully vaccinated.

But a spokeswoman for the Welsh Government said that they do not see the need for compulsory measures because take-up of the vaccine in the relevant groups has been high.

“Take-up of the Covid-19 vaccine has been high among health and social care staff," she said.

“Over 90 per cent of staff in care homes for older adults have received both doses of the vaccine, with nearly half already receiving their booster jab, and we want to thank them for embracing vaccination – it helps protect them and the vulnerable people they care for.

“While Covid vaccination rates are at such high levels in these groups, we do not see the need for compulsory measures.”

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Javid said: “I’m leaning towards doing it (making vaccinations compulsory).

“There’s around 100,000 that are not (vaccinated in the NHS) at this point, but what we saw with the care sector is that when we announced the policy… then we saw many more people come forward and do the right thing and get vaccinated, that’s what I hope, if we can do the same thing with the NHS – we will see.

“If they haven’t got vaccinated by now then there is an issue about patient safety and that’s something the Government will take very seriously.”

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Mr Javid also told Times Radio: “We’ve been very clear and open about this, working with our friends in the NHS, and the reason for this is if you’re working in the NHS, that fantastic work you’re doing every day, you yourself are more susceptible to this virus because you’re just much more likely to come into contact with it, but also the people that you’re looking after are more vulnerable and that’s why they’re in hospital, they’ve got health needs, and this is about protecting them and protecting yourself.”

Jeremy Brown, professor of respiratory medicine at University College London Hospitals, who sits on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, told Sky News: “If you’re frontline NHS staff dealing with patients and meeting the general public you should be vaccinated – it’s a professional thing, it’s a safety thing.

“We know that quite a few infections have occurred in the hospital have potentially come from staff rather than patients.

“And if you’re not vaccinated, I feel, you shouldn’t be dealing with patients or the general public – whether it should be compulsory it is always a tricky thing, but I do think it professionally each person should be vaccinated.”

He said he would not answer a question about whether staff should lose their jobs if they were not vaccinated, but added: “I think they should change their role, perhaps, not lose their job.”