Deadline For NHS Staff To Get Compulsory Covid Jabs May Be Delayed

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Compulsory covid jabs for NHS staff could be pushed back by six months amid nationwide protests over the measure, according to reports.

The Governments threat to sack as many as 80,000 unvaccinated National Health Service staff is likely to be delayed amid fears of a Tory Party revolt against Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to The Telegraph.

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RT reports: The NHS vaccine mandate will probably be “kicked down the road” and delayed by six months, though not scrapped altogether, an unnamed government source told the publication on Saturday.

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The Telegraph reported that the government fears a backbench revolt as some MPs are preparing to file a motion of no confidence in Johnson if he is implicated in the Downing Street parties which allegedly took place last year in breach of Covid-19 restrictions. One source told the newspaper that “a substantial number” of government ministers and MPs would be willing to vote no confidence in Johnson.

Disaffected Conservative backbench MPs have called for the NHS vaccine mandate to be repealed, arguing that it would cause further staff shortages at a time when the health service is already under major pressure.

Hundreds of NHS staffers and their supporters took to the streets of London on Saturday in protest over the mandate, holding signs which read, “My Body My Choice,” “No NHS Mandates,” and “From Clapping to Sacking” – the latter in reference to the weekly applause NHS staff received in 2020 for their pandemic efforts.

#NHS100K Staff throw their uniforms at the police outside Downing Street. pic.twitter.com/sugdpl28Ko
— Subject Access (@subjectaccesss) January 22, 2022

Huge protests in London today. Powerful image of NHS staff throwing down their uniforms. I wonder if we’ll see this on MSM later? pic.twitter.com/jdjnRi0GZW
— Glynis Barber (@MsGlynisBarber) January 22, 2022

NHS staff protest in central London. This should be on all our front pages in tomorrow’s Sunday papers. @NHS100K @AVPassport pic.twitter.com/an7Q8hJ4o6
— Anna Brees (@BreesAnna) January 22, 2022

Under the current mandate, NHS workers have until April 1 to get fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or face being fired. Those who have not received their first jab by February 3 will reportedly be informed of their dismissal. ITV reports that as many as 70,000 NHS employees remain unvaccinated.