NHS chiefs want more staff to get vaccinated against diseases like Covid and the flu.
Bosses say health trusts are “behind where we would want to be” when it comes to getting workers vaccinated.
This is despite success in rolling out vaccination programmes among members of the public.
Mari Gay, managing director of the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire integrated care board (ICB) said: “We need to focus on staff vaccination – we are somewhere behind where we would want to be on that.”
VACCINATION: NHS bosses say more staff need to get vaccinated (Image: Yuri Arcurs peopleimages.com)
Speaking at a health overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Monday, October 12, Councillor Mark Ward said healthcare workers are “seriously important people”.
“They care for frail and elderly people, vulnerable people,” he said. “Why isn’t that [figure] 100 percent?
“Those people they care for deserve that level of protection that they aren’t being exposed to Covid, from staff.”
Ms Gay told the committee: “For the public, we do very well across vaccinations. For staff – less so.
“We are looking at how we can promote vaccinations more within our staff, get people into areas where they can quickly have a vaccination, where it doesn’t take up too much time.
“I know of nowhere in the country that has a hundred percent take up among staff because it’s a choice issue for staff. We can’t enforce that through any HR routes.”
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Figures for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust show 43.2 percent of staff were vaccinated against the flu as of March 2026.
Trust papers show staff vaccinations for this winter were set to begin in October.
Scott Parker, director of operations and transformation at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust: “The focus across all organisations is the benefits of vaccinations and working with staff to make it as easy as possible.”
He said this includes vaccinators in the central foyer of hospitals.
“We’re aiming at a significant increase this year but not by being target driven – by being benefits driven,” said Mr Parker.
