NHS Boss Criticises Healthcare Workers’ Low COVID Vaccine Uptake in Leaked Letter

NHS Wales Chief Executive Judith Paget said that ‘time is not on our side’ as she expressed ‘disappointment’ in the COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

The highest-ranking official of NHS Wales has criticized low COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in a leaked letter addressed to healthcare organizations.

In a letter signed by Judith Paget, director general for health and social services and chief executive of NHS Wales, she expresses her eagerness to learn about “interventions” following her “disappointment” with COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
According to a solicitor, the language in the letter is “coercive and goes against the principle of informed consent.”

‘Demand Plummeted’

Former MEP James Freeman, who now hosts “The Freeman Report” on TNT Radio, told The Epoch Times that the letter was given to him by an NHS whistleblower.

He believes the letter proves that “demand for COVID-19 injections has plummeted.”

“And secondly, that this puts authorities that have secured stockpiles for this winter in an uncomfortable position,” he went on to say.

“What I think we are therefore seeing in this letter is a reaction to the embarrassing prospect of wasting large amounts of tax-payer money,” he went on to say.

The Epoch Times obtained a copy of the letter but was unable to speak with the whistleblower.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, the communications team for Health Boards and NHS Trusts in Wales, initially told The Epoch Times that this was “a matter for Welsh Government.”

A spokesperson for the Welsh government then stated that a member of the press team would be in touch.

However, the Welsh Government did not respond to any subsequent requests.

Letter

The letter, dated Oct. 19, 2023, is addressed to the chief executives of all NHS Wales organizations.
Ms. Paget writes that after more than a month, they “have been closely monitoring the uptake across all eligible cohorts, including healthcare workers.”

“I am sorry to say so far, that the data for healthcare workers is very disappointing so,” she went on to say.

“You will be well aware that vaccination against flu and COVID-19 is one of the best defences we have to protect our staff and support the resilience of NHS organisation this winter,” she went on to say.

Ms. Paget then adds that she is hearing “anecdotally” of reluctance to accept the COVID-19 vaccine offer and is “writing to ask each of you to immediately review how the offer of vaccination is being promoted and encouraged across your organization.”

She went on to say that it’s “crucial that as a system we understand the barriers to uptake and work hard to break them down” and that “time is not on our side.”

“I would ask you to act quickly on this and will look forward to hearing about the interventions you have made at the next NHS Wales Leadership Board,” she went on to say.

She added that she expected a “significant increase in uptake numbers in the coming weeks.”

Winter respiratory vaccinations are not required for NHS employees in Wales, but they are “strongly recommended.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended that people aged 65 and older, as well as frontline health and social care workers, receive a COVID-19 autumn booster vaccine.

Employees who wish to decline the offer of vaccination are encouraged to fill out an anonymous online form.

Legislation

Jonathan Lea, a commercial solicitor, told The Epoch Times via email that the “language used in the letter is coercive and goes against the principle of informed consent.”
“Promoting a culture which applies social pressure to be vaccinated does not adhere to current legislation aimed to prevent discrimination and can lead to discrimination and bullying in the workplace,” Mr. Lea said.

He stated that in the United Kingdom, legislation protects the right to give or refuse consent prior to receiving medical treatment.

Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board (2015) established the principle of an individual’s right to informed consent without coercion or penalty in the United Kingdom Supreme Court.

Mr. Lea also stated that legal rights are outlined in the NHS Constitution, which states that “you should be free to accept or refuse treatment that is offered,” that “risks and benefits must be available,” and that decisions “should be voluntary and must not be influenced by pressure from medical staff.”