In September 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) proposed it will introduce a temporary system which will enable care home workers or volunteers who are exempt from receiving the Covid-19 vaccinations to self-certify that they qualify for the medical exemption. Currently, the self-certification system also applies to care home workers and volunteers who have received their Covid-19 vaccine in a foreign country, but this exemption may expire if further guidance requires vaccines to have been authorised in the UK only.
The self-certification system will expire 12 weeks after the NHS COVID Pass system is launched, and the relevant workers and volunteers will then need to apply for a formal medical exemption.
This is an important development, particularly as care home workers and visitors will need to be fully vaccinated from 11 November 2021, unless they are exempt under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021.
