Sir, – My interest was piqued by your headline "Healthcare staff who refuse vaccination can be removed, says HSE chief" (News, February 12th). I thought for a moment that it meant what most of us might take it to mean – but I was soon reassured. Paul Reid said that it would be inexcusable for any healthcare worker who works with patients not to take the vaccine and that the Health and Safety Act allows for a health-and-safety risk assessment to be carried out and for workers to be removed if they are regarded as a threat to other people. So far, so sensible. But Mr Reid concludes that, if a local manager deems a worker to be a risk to patients, "the only alternative will be for that member of staff to do something different". I have little doubt that this "something different" would be done on the same terms and conditions as applied in the position from which the staff member was "removed".
Those of us who live on this planet will be able to tell Mr Reid that the course of action outlined by him, vague as it is, would certainly not be the only alternative.– Yours, etc ,
PAT O’BRIEN,
Crossmolina, Co Mayo.