Letter to Health Minister calling for COVID vaccination of all frontline social workers

Northern Ireland

Orlaith McGibbon, BASW NI Chair, has written to the Minister for Health, Robin Swann, highlighting the urgent need to ensure all frontline social workers, including Independent social workers are included in the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

BASW NI has worked since December in an attempt to ensure a collective leadership approach is taken to guarantee vaccination of all frontline staff.

Regrettably, these efforts, which have included engagement with both Patricia Donnelly, Head of the Department of Health vaccination programme, and the Chief Social Worker, have yielded no assurance that all essential frontline social workers working as Independents will receive the vaccine. This has left BASW NI with no option but to raise the matter directly with the Minister for Health.