A NUMBER of Worcester care homes have said all staff are fully vaccinated after the Government’s mandatory jab policy deadline passed.

Staff working in registered care homes must have had both Covid-19 jabs to continue in their role from Thursday (November 11), unless they are medically exempt.

In September we revealed that 367 staff working in private care homes in Worcestershire - 6.5 per cent of eligible staff - had missed their last opportunity for a first dose in time to meet that deadline.

Just before the deadline we approached care homes across the city asking how many staff still working were not double vaccinated and were set to lose employment.

A spokesman for Barchester group, that manages Latimer Court Care Home in Lyppard Grange, said: “Months ago we took the decision that staff working in a Barchester care home must be vaccinated and we have carried out extensive internal communication and engagement programmes with staff, as well as one-to-one support to encourage this.

"We have seen strong uptake and positive engagement with the Covid-19 vaccination. The deadline will not impact our homes locally as any employees that refused the vaccine left our homes months ago and no one has been hired without being vaccinated or medically exempt.

"Those staff with valid medical exemptions will operate with enhanced PPE.”

South Hayes Care Home in London Road told us all staff were fully vaccinated, and a spokesman for Care UK that manages Perry Manor in Lyppard Grange said everyone working there was also full vaccinated.

Melanie Dawson manager of the Lawns Nursing Home in Kempsey, said: "We are 100 per cent vaccinated at The Lawns and staff are undertaking booster vaccinations at present."

Gold Care Home that manages St Stephen's Care Home in Northwick, and Sanctuary Care that managers Regent Residential Care Home in St John's and Juniper House Residential Care Home in Broadheath, declined to comment before our deadline.

Care home providers could choose to redeploy unvaccinated staff into non-frontline roles, if these are available.

As late as Wednesday, care groups were calling for the deadline to be delayed to next April.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was its “responsibility to do everything we can to protect vulnerable people”.