Why do nhs admin staff need the vaccine before teachers?

[BrutusMcDogface]

Just that.

I really want to understand why someone who works in an office, away from any patients (and doesn’t even have to go through any corridors that patients will have gone through) get through vaccine, when teachers/school staff don’t?

Of course I don’t begrudge nhs staff their vaccine; absolutely on the contrary. But why aren’t teachers/school staff somewhere on the priority list? Particularly those who are working with children with SEND; all vulnerable, many of whom need personal care.

Please help me to understand.

To prevent them getting ill, admin are essential to keeping the cogs going. Also many admin staff have direct contact with clinicians such as consultants so could catch/spread that way. Admin staff use the toilets, facilities, staff rooms etc that clinicians use. Admin staff will be touching notes that have been on the ward etc so could catch that way. There are many many reasons. But I also think teachers should be vaccinated now.

I'm having mine tmrw. I'd rather teachers went first however if I was off a lot wouldn't get done that's crucial for our nurses. I'll go because I've been called but I do think teachers and other people should be in this first lot

I'm in medical education for an NHS Trust, been wfh since March, I'm being offered it next week, its ridiculous, I don't want it, I'd rather it went to someone who works in a supermarket/school/nursery than me, I'm not in any at risk group and think it's a waste being given to me when on the planner it looks like im wfh until at least June.

I think people that are getting bitter about this should get experience of what admin and clerical workers in a hospital actually do and what the roles involve. I know many clerical workers that work in red areas, alongside staff treating COVID+ patients, others are constantly facing patients in a close proximity and if they’re not they’re i. Close proximity (and I mean less than 1m) to other staff members for long periods. Not only that, but many consultants, allied health professionals and other clinical roles can be done from home via video calling and phone calls, most admin and clerical workers cannot work from home and need to be physically in the hospital.

The PP that said the consultants demanded that their admin and clerical staff got vaccinated first - this is probably because they know full well that their service to patients would halt if these people got sick and nobody can afford that right now.

NHS admin and clerical isn’t pushing poet around, it’s much much more.

Family member who works for the NHS in HR, is currently on maternity leave and who will WFH when she starts working again in May, is already booked for vaccination next week. Friend who is an NHS accountant, with no contact with clinical staff or patients, has already had hers.

Meanwhile, I am ECV and have heard nothing.

I agree that teachers and other public-facing staff should be bumped up the priority list.
However, I assume it’s been decided to count all NHS as frontline for logistical reasons. The clinics are set up on site anyway, so you just need to go down and get it done. It’s not as easy for teachers to visit a hospital Trust.
For every back office NHS staff member who’s feeling guilty about having a early vaccination there are probably about three over 80s who’d rather wait a while/not bother so I’m not going to stress too much.

FWIW in my Trust it’s red and amber areas first with CEV staff, then any staff in green areas, then staff WFH. They’ve got through the list very very quickly and are now onto green staff.

@Miarara

I'm in medical education for an NHS Trust, been wfh since March, I'm being offered it next week, its ridiculous, I don't want it, I'd rather it went to someone who works in a supermarket/school/nursery than me, I'm not in any at risk group and think it's a waste being given to me when on the planner it looks like im wfh until at least June.

You should still take it as you've been called - I'd worry about you being missed next time round. Just keep it to yourself around frontliners / the vulnerable maybe

Just curious are porters/cleaning/catering staff in hospitals getting the jab?

I do agree but also everyone will be vaccinated at some point. Therefore why not get all NHS staff vaccinated quickly to save the doctors surgery picking them up within the community.

Also admin staff keep the cogs turning. You might not notice what they do now but you would notice if the service stopped if they were all off sick.

If you had to use the toilets I have to use at the hospital where I work (admin) that are used by SO MANY clinical/non clinical staff (and random patients);Then you would understand why!

I'm sure you are statistically more likely to catch covid from working in a hospital than working in a school.

Obviously of course teachers should have it ASAP.

And the school admin staff as well of course.

In our trust the NHS admin staff are only able to get the "spare" vaccines.
My husband works from home for the NHS. He doesn't have an appointment for a vaccine but is on a list to be called up at short notice to recieve a vaccine if they have some left over at the end of a day which would otherwise have to be binned.

A lot of our admin staff work in the wards so are at risk, also in general the admin stuff are essential for keeping things running so if there was an outbreak in an office it could have big knock on effects.

@fizzyp0p yep porters, domestics etc are all front line so being offered at the same time as nurses, hcas etc

Police are being spat on, coughed at and being told they hope they catch it.

They are not on the vaccine list either.

Death rates are higher for TFl bus drivers than NHS staff yet I don’t think they’re on the list either.

Nhs staff are being done not to protect the staff, but to protect the patients, who by their nature are vulnerable.

Like a posters dd on another threas who worked in a care home but nobly refused the vaccine as she was young and healthy- it’s not to protect her, it’s to stop her passing it on to her charges.

As children aren’t in a vulnerable group teachers are lower down the list too.

@fizzyp0p

Just curious are porters/cleaning/catering staff in hospitals getting the jab?

Of course, why would they not?

Cleaners are as high risk as they come - at twice the risk of clinical staff - on minimum wage and get zero professional respect. And yet are utterly indispensible. If I were in charge I'd stick them at the front of the queue.

(See www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-55682405 for exactly why they need the vaccine.)

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GP here, if our receptionists and admin team were off sick our practice would literally collapse.

I do agree that teachers, the police, fire department, postal services, refuge collectors, supermarket workers and other keyworkers should be prioritised.

Firstly, I agree that teachers should be prioritised ASAP (and TAs etc).

But the nhs staff are being vaccinated very efficiently in local trusts. I think it does make sense to offer it to as many of the staff as possible (whether frontline/office based/managers/working from home). The whole service relies on every cog. If there is an outbreak in admin who processes test results/organises appointments/manages staff etc etc).

Whether anyone in NHS is working from home or not, we don't have the luxury of anyone not doing their job currently - we have no give, no slack, nothing left to keep hospitals going. We need every single member of staff doing everything in their job and more. That plus protecting the patients - that is why everyone in the NHS is being vaccinated.

I thought everyone wanted to get back to normal once the hospitals are not overwhelmed? It makes me quite sick that admin roles are being seen as so dispensable.

Reading some of these posts I am guessing each Trust decides which staff they vaccinate and in what order. I work for the NHS, not front line, but am occasionally in the hospital and often in GP surgeries. I could WFH but am not allowed. If I could have redirected my vaccine to my vulnerable family members I would have, but that's not how it works. I would also be foolish to turn it down for myself when offered.
I have now chosen not to tell people that I have had it because I often feel I have to justify why I have been given it.
If people have been invited for the vaccine, then they fit the criteria set by the Government. Bitterness about who gets it should be directed towards them, not Joe Bloggs who chooses to accept a vaccine in the middle of a pandemic.

Because if there is no admin staff working in the Nhs it's fucking chaos.

@bluebluezoo ok, that makes sense.

I asked the same question. Where I work the admin staff are of a similar demographic, part time and WFH for part of the week. Yet they were in the same queue for the vaccine as patient facing staff. I work on covid wards and haven’t had my vaccine yet non facing staff have!! As previously said I thinks it’s easier to give it to the nhs as a whole rather then identifying particular nhs staff groups. But it’s upsetting that they are ahead of the of others who are more at risk and can’t WFH.