Employer failed to provide Hepatitis-B vaccine

I'm looking for people that actually definitely know what they're talking about please.

I'm a HCA/care worker that works in a number of settings from day centres, nursing homes and hostels right up to clinical settings such as hospitals. I have recently applied for a new position in a secure mental hospital and have been told that I must provide evidence of a hepatitis-B immunisation.

I've worked in hospitals before and my employer has never mentioned this before and ignored the question when I've bought it up. I've been in healthcare for two years.

I deal with blood, semen, faeces, urine and used needles regularly. Are they breaking the law....?

You should have had your hep B vaccine, have you been working for a private sector employer or the NHS? Either way, you should have either been offered the hep B vaccine or asked to give them proof of you having immunity for their occy health records. A lot of agencies expect potential employees to get their own hep B vaccine which can cost sometimes, but they have a duty of care to make sure you're aware that this is recommended if you deal with bodily fluids but I don't think it's the law for you to have to have had it. You could possibly see if they've failed in their duty of care as an employer if they failed to tell you anything at all about hep B vaccination when working in environments where you could be exposed to infected bodily fluids, but I'm not too sure how far you'd get (I'm a nurse, not a solicitor or union rep). If you're a union member they may be able to advise you on the legal side of things here better than anyone here tbh.

I am having to pay the £140 for it but I'm not surprised by this as agency staff generally have to pay for all their own equipment, training and vaccinations. It's taken me so long to get it from the doctor because I keep getting either A.) "but you work in hospitals already you must have had it" or B.) "no no your employer should be paying for this through occupational health". So I have to explain no I haven't been offered it and no we have to get it ourselves because we're just agency punch-bags etc. Finally got my first dose today, pity it takes 6 months for the whole process... So won't be starting this new job for a very long time...

They make us handle HIV needles without SHARPS training or protective gloves either... Agency is the god damn pits.

Speak to the occy health department at the place where your new job is, it's possible they'll take you on if you've started a course of the vaccination. It does take six months for the full course, but if no where let you start student nurses (for example) wouldn't be able to go on placement until the end of their first year.



This is concerning, I understand that you may not want to rock the boat while you're still working for them but this is something you could take to the CQC as it's really not on.