‘Persuasion and encouragement’ better than forcing NHS staff to get jabbed, says Labour

Labour has criticised the health secretary Sajid Javid’s comments that he is “leaning towards” making Covid vaccinations compulsory for NHS staff.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme this morning that: “First thing I’d say is I want all NHS staff to be double vaccinated. I think forcing them is a mistake. It is better to encourage and cajole.”

Shadow education secretary Kate Green also told Sky News earlier today that the Labour party opposes making vaccines mandatory for NHS staff, saying that a “persuasion and encouragement model” such as the one being used in Wales would likely work better.

She highlighted the issues experienced in the care sector, where it was announced earlier this month that proof of vaccination or medical exemption will be made compulsory from 11 November, saying, “the sector came under great pressure as staff left who wouldn’t have the jab. That sector and the NHS are already suffering severe staffing pressures.”

When asked whether a jab mandate would exacerbate the NHS’ staffs shortages, the health secretary told Sky News that “the numbers are going in the right direction”, explaining “I think that if you keep in mind more than a million people that work in the NHS, so far it’s over I think 94% or 93% thereabouts that are vaccinated, so there is around 100,000 that are not at this point.”