By Tony O’Riley-
A consultant anaesthetist, who criticised the mandate for Nhs workers to be vaccinated and questioned the safety of the vaccine is facing criticism from colleagues in his hospital and from other experts, The Eye Of Media.Com can reveal.
Dr Steve James, a consultant anaesthetist on the intensive care ward at King’s College Hospital (KCH) in London is being criticized by fellow colleagues at the Kings College Hospital NHS Trust in London where he works after he questioned the Government’s policy during Health Secretary Sajid Jvid’s visit to the hospital last Friday, claiming that “the science is not strong enough” and that he had acquired immunity through natural infection.
He said he did not like the idea that he could be dismissed from his post for refusing a jab despite working on ICU wards and being exposed to the virus throughout the pandemic is making waves on social media, and being circulated on Whassap groups across the world, The Eye Of Media.Com can reveal.
Dr James said: “I have not had a vaccination, I do not want to have a vaccination,” he said. “The vaccines are reducing transmission only for about eight weeks for delta, with omicron it’s probably less. And for that I would be dismissed if I don’t have a vaccine? The science isn’t strong enough.”
Anonymous sources from King’s College Hospital told this publication: ” Is has not been an easy time for Dr James because that interview he had with the Health Secretary is being circulated on Whassap Groups. Not many people are happy, although in reality there wasn’t much he said that people haven’t already thought about. It’s doubtful he would have made many people more skeptical than they already were, or turned away too many unvaccinated people who were considering being vaccinated.
”But chances are that he would have influenced some unvaccinated people who were on the fence, but most people re going to be vacicnated have already been vaccinated”
The doctor’s position on the science not being strong enough highlights the divided opinion among experts on the vaccine, but is also unhelpful to the initiative of increasing protection from the perspective of those who have conducted the research and experiment and insist that vaccines are generally safe and three times likely to prevent infection and re-infections.
Many of the double vaccinated have fallen ill to the virus, in some cases hospitalized, but medical experts say those cases do not represent the vast majority of double vaccinated people, and that no system in the world is ever one hundred percent perfect.
However, Dr.James strong disapproval of the law compelling Nhs workers to be vaccinated or loose their jobs is not isolated, whilst the government deems it necessary to make double vaccination among Nhs workers mandatory.
Dr James took to social media to urge NHS colleagues to “stand up and make your voices heard” if they disagreed with the vaccine mandate.
“I’d like to suggest to those of you who feel you haven’t had a chance to speak up that I’ve just had to do so. Please contact your local media outlets. Write to your executive staff at your hospital. Write to [the Government’s chief medical adviser Professor Sir] Chris Whitty, write to Boris Johnson, write to Sajid Javid and make your views known. Please stand up and make your voices heard as best as you can.”
Dr James’s stance has sparked a backlash from NHS staff across the country. Dr Rich Breeze, an anaesthetist at University Hospital Lewisham, said: “I completely disagree with Steve James who told Sajid Javid on that he didn’t believe in vaccines. A deluded, irresponsible and dangerous intervention.”
Thousands of NHS staff took to social media to express disapproval with the doctor and explain why they had received both doses and a booster jab. Many said it was the “single most important thing” they could so to avoid being admitted to intensive care or dying from the virus.
The Academy, the coordinating body for the UK and Ireland’s 23 medical Royal Colleges and Faculties, had been opposed to mandatory jabs for NHS staff calling the move “not sensible or necessary”.
Tens of thousands of NHS staff could lose their jobs if they have not had two doses of the vaccine by April, when the law comes into effect. Last year, the Government decided all patient-facing NHS staff would need to have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine by February 3, and two doses by April 2022. Trusts will be told this week how they should go about dismissing NHS staff who have decided not to be vaccinated against Covid.
KCH chief executive Dr Clive Kay, told The Eye Of Media.Com his hospital could lose 1,000 staff members unless get vaccinated, stating that an estimated 10 per cent of approximately 14,000 workers at the hospital are yet to receive a first dose.
”It is very concerning that over 1,000 members of staff could be lost in an “extreme” scenario unless vaccine uptake within the workforce improves. It’s not a good time to loose people in these crucial times, but not everybody is responding to the call to be vaccinated
“The law is now such that individuals who are not vaccinated, if they can’t be redeployed, will not be able to work in hospitals if they deal with patients. We’re having conversations with staff, their line managers are having conversations, we have a helpline where colleagues seek clarification and help.”
In London , 93.5 % of NHS England staff have had at least one dose and 90.7 per cent two doses. The figure for doctors is around 95 per cent.
Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “It is a real concern that significant numbers of patient facing staff remain unvaccinated. Trusts are continuing to work hard to overcome vaccine hesitancy, listening to concerns, and offering clarification and support.
“This respectful and constructive approach has helped ensure a high uptake, but there is still some way to go, and with the NHS so stretched even a small number of staff taken off regular frontline duties could jeopardise some services. In the coming weeks trusts will redouble their efforts to persuade vaccine hesitant colleagues that it is best for patients, colleagues, loved ones and for themselves to get jabbed and boo
“I have not had a vaccination, I do not want to have a vaccination,” he said. “The vaccines are reducing transmission only for about eight weeks for delta, with omicron it’s probably less. And for that I would be dismissed if I don’t have a vaccine? The science isn’t strong enough.”
On Monday, Prof Graham Medley, the chairman of the Spi-M modelling group, which advises the Government on the virus, said ministers would reach a stage where mass vaccination is no longer cost effective.
“The decisions that the Government makes about vaccinating, for example against measles, are based upon decisions in terms of public health, but also the costs,” he said.
“I think to some extent that approach will become more and more likely as we go forward. Vaccines are really the things that are changing the landscape, both in terms of public health and in terms of decision-making.
“As ever, the Government has to make a decision, balancing all these different views and different industries’ perspectives, to come up with what it feels to be the correct policy.”
Prof Medley also suggested that the provision of free lateral flow tests would eventually end but, asked about reports that ministers were considering cutting off the supply, Mr Johnson said: “We’re going to have to make sure that we continue to use testing as one of our most important lines of defence for as long as it’s necessary.”
In a separate question and answer session, his spokesman suggested that ministers have begun to think the UK is past the worst of the Covid pandemic.
Asked whether the Prime Minister agreed that the UK was on a path “from pandemic to endemic”, the spokesman replied: “I think that’s certainly our expectation, that at some point that is where we will get to. That has been the nature of previous epidemics, previous pandemics.