THE number of people working at Brighton and Hove's care homes has fallen by more than a dozen since mandatory Covid vaccines were announced, figures suggest.

Rules set by the government last year stated care workers in England needed to have at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine by September 16 to continue working, and two doses by November 11.

The move was in response to the high number of deaths in the care sector during the pandemic but was widely criticised, among fears of an "exodus" of care staff.

NHS England data shows 2,225 people were working in older adult care homes across Brighton and Hove on January 2 2022, – the most recent date for which figures are available.

This was 17 fewer than the 2,242 recorded on July 18, 2021– days before a 16-week “grace period” for care workers to get their first jab started.

Across England, the number of staff in older adult care homes dropped by 17,000 over the same period.

It is unclear how many workers left as a result of the mandatory vaccine policy.

The NHS data shows 2,081 workers at older adult care homes in Brighton and Hove had received two Covid jabs by January 2 – 94 per cent of staff employed on that date, and up from 1,659 on July 18.

Across England, 95 per cent of older adult care home workers have received two doses of the vaccine.

The Department for Health and Social Care said new starters can be deployed to work care homes 21 days after receiving one dose of the vaccine and are required to get a second jab within ten weeks.

Others not fully vaccinated may consist of those on maternity leave, long term sickness or otherwise not currently deployed, a DHSC spokeswoman added.

She said £462.5 million had been provided for recruitment and retention, and the department was working with the care sector to encourage booster uptake.

Care providers are experiencing high vacancy rates and turnover, and pressure on staffing is being exacerbated by the spread of the Omicron variant.

Furthmore, the government announced it is relaxing immigration rules to make up for “severe and increasing difficulties” with recruitment and retention in the care sector.

Sam Monaghan, chief executive of MHA, the UK’s largest charitable care provider, said: “Essential care and support for older people is facing a staffing crisis the likes of which we have never seen before.

“The changes to immigration rules are a very welcome step forward in addressing the ongoing care staffing crisis.

“However, it will be some months before older people feel the benefit of these much-needed changes."

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