North Wales MS and Shadow Local Government and Communities Minister, Mark Isherwood, has today reiterated calls for the Welsh Government to commit to giving policing some priority in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout after being contacted by the North Wales Police Federation and frontline Officers who are concerned they are being put at risk.
In the Welsh Parliament last week, Mr Isherwood called for Police to be prioritised for the Covid vaccine.
Since then he has again been contacted by the North Wales Police Federation, who are concerned that hospital secretaries and social workers working from home are receiving the vaccine ahead of frontline police officers.
He has also been contacted by a frontline North Wales Police Officer who has emphasised the need for Police Officers to be quickly protected.
Calling for a Welsh Government Statement on the matter in today’s Business Statement, he said:
“Responding to you last week, I referred to calls by the North Wales Police Federation for Policing to ‘be considered for some priority on the COVID-19 vaccination programme’.
“Instead, the Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, subsequently told me ‘There is a real impact to moving occupational staff groups around’ and referred to lateral flow testing trials for the Police.
“Yesterday, North Wales Police Federation told me they have been contacted over the weekend by ‘very reliable sources working within the vaccination centres who advise that hospital secretaries and even social workers – who are working from home – are receiving the vaccine yet frontline policing is still not considered to be a risk nor even being allowed to use up any spare /unused vaccines’, adding ‘Even if we could get frontline police officers on a standby list, like is happening in some parts of England, would be a start’.
“And an email from a frontline North Wales Police Officer today stated: ‘There is always a sense of shock and bewilderment when I speak to people and inform them that Police are not considered a priority group for the vaccine’…. ‘I ask that the Welsh Government commit to giving policing some priority’, where ‘We need to protect the protectors who ultimately protect us all’.”
In her response, the Trefnydd told Mr Isherwood that there may be opportunities to raise the matter directly with the Health Minister in tomorrow’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, but added “I'm sure the Minister's response would be along the lines of Welsh Government very much taking the advice from the JCVI in terms of the priorities schedule,”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood added:
“I will certainly seek an opportunity to raise this with the Health Minister tomorrow and only hope that I will be called to speak.
“As North Wales Police Federation told me last week, ‘Sadly, in North Wales, we have seen many colleagues who have become unwell with COVID-19, some requiring hospital treatment, and many more having to self-isolate’, and as the Police Officer who contacted me today stated, ‘We enter multiple households every single shift, unable to control the environment we are in or the amount of people we have contact with. These are not sanitised spaces. We are also expected to attend sudden deaths, frequently where Covid is a factor or cause of death is unknown’.”