Flu Jab

[bpjcf]

In the NHS trust where I work, we are offered a free flu jab, which we are entitled to refuse, but they then ask us to sign a form to that effect. What are my legal rights re refusing to sign as requested?

[woofgang]

why would you want to refuse to sign? I mean I don't think they can sack you for it....they will just note down on the flu jab record that you refused the jab and refused to sign to say you had refused......if it was me though as your manager, it would make me think less of you, not for refusing the jab but refusing to sign the refusal form.

[aelmpvw]

if i worked for the nhs i'd demand a flu jab ...

[Mamyalynne]

I agree with Woofgang, a strange stance on your part but they'd probably simply make a note of your refusal to both jab and form.

[elliemay1]

It's probably just to keep it all official, as when you sign the refusal form it's proof that the jab has been offered to you.

[Rockrose]

Maybe if you wed to take a long period of sickness due to the flu they could bring up the fact that you refused the injection

[sunny-dave]

No - RR - they certainly couldn't do that - whether or not to have the jab is entirely a personal decision and could not be 'used against you' - I know this from my time as an NHS director.

I suspect that the the form is merely being used to prove that an NHS Trust is meeting its targets in offering the jab to all staff - as I remember, targets used to be for offering the jab, not for actual take-up (but this could have changed).

[Rockrose]

Were not wed

[Rockrose]

I know after one of my periods of sick I was sent for an occupation health referral and it was made plain that if I did not try and action the the recommendation made by occuhealth that it would be mentioned in any disciplinary hearings that may follow

[sunny-dave]

That's rather different from a policy affecting all staff, RR

[Rockrose]

Ok

[Peter Pedant]

just refuse to sign and be done with it

they have to say - well it is in the XYZ in which case you say -where ?
and see how it goes ....

the real answer is - it depends on the wording of your contract BUT i cant think that there is a bit about refusing to sign .....

[Peter Pedant]

I join the general tenor of the thread

you have done X or dont wish to have X - so why not certify it?
unless you are planning to say later - ah yes well I never REALLY said.....what I really said is not-X

it far more common to handed a form and told sign it!
and you say no I wont coz I didnt do it ....
but that is deffo not the case here

for me:
I didnt have Hep B vacc ( see later ) and the MD came up and said I intend to inform the Board of your failure to be inoculated
and I said - that was because I was in a Hospital bed having complex treatment for cancer which is well certified
and HE said - that is nothing to do with me [no really he did - I was open mouthed when I heard that]
so I screwed him for breach of confidentiality - [I later screwed him over on perjury on a ccompletely different matter. we never really liked each other after that ]- but of course he hadnt informed them yet
so it had to be - intention to breach confidentiality (by disclosing my name to non-medical staff on a clinical matter)
bit limp that one

and the upshot was - - - a directive that the issue of vaccination of staff should be handled completely differently and should NOT be coercive and backed up by disciplinary measures
( my employer only)

if you are NHS staff tell your line manager that you dont want your non vaccinated status and your name circulated for anything other than relevance to patient care and that if it is communicated to non medical staff you will allege breach of confidentlality to the national authorities ( GMC and NMC)

for my own part if I have done X I have always been willing to certify I did X and if I didnt do X I would certify I hadnt done X - it is part of my life to be honest

[Peter Pedant]

oh oops sunny dave
hadnt realised you were a hospital admin

and yes from my little story below
clearly these fine principles are not universal in the NHS

oh and the perjury bit was shredding a 2000 pt audit
so he could allege under oath that there was no evidence action A was safe when he had shredded evidence ... that action A was safe

and sunny dave - please dont say - oh yeah I heard about that ......

[retrocop]

Oh Dear. What a pity. How sad. sigh