The period of self-certified temporary exemption from Covid jabs for care home staff has been extended to 31 March 2022.
The deadline set by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was previously 23 December 2021.
Since 11 November 2021, all social care workers and volunteers deployed in CQC-regulated older adult care homes have been required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Health and social care workers who cannot or should not be vaccinated due to medical reasons must apply for a formal exemption in order to continue working in CQC-regulated care home settings.
The self-certification process enables care home workers to give proof of their medical exemption status to ensure they can comply with vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD) regulations.
“The reason for this extension is because we are aware that some people who have applied for a formal exemption have experienced a delay in the outcome of their application being notified,” said DHSC director of adult social care delivery Claire Armstrong.
“Extending the cut-off for self-certification will allow sufficient time for individuals whose formal medical exemption is unsuccessful to be fully vaccinated before 31 March 2022,” she added.
