UNISON warns on vaccine rollout

The government must ensure the rollout of any COVID-19 vaccine is managed entirely by the NHS and public bodies and does not allow the involvement of private firms and unqualified staff, the UNISON public services union has warned.

In its response to a consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care on changes to medicine regulations, the union has raised concerns about allowing non-healthcare professionals to administer any vaccine.

It said there should be no cutting corners by allowing private firms to use staff with little training who could create added dangers.

UNISON is also calling for some highly experienced groups, such as operating department practitioners, to be added to the list of health professionals who can administer vaccines.

The union’s head of health, Sara Gorton, said the use of private companies to run test and trace “has been a disaster. Any more mistakes on that scale will simply allow the virus to continue to spread.”

She said ministers must “keep any programme within the NHS and public health bodies. The public needs total confidence that any vaccine is going to be safely given, and any follow-up managed properly by the NHS.”

Gorton added that at the start of the pandemic, thousands of ex-health workers offered to come back to the NHS and help in its hour of need, but some

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/press-release/2020/10/covid-vaccine-roll-must-not-involve-private-firms