A major Melbourne hospital is down 51 staff who are refusing to be vaccinated against Covid, a requirement to work in Victorian healthcare facilities.
The state government directive applies to all workers including contractors and those who are self-employed, and covers roles such as administration and retail staff within healthcare settings, doctors, nurses and people doing diagnostic imaging.
The deadline for health workers to receive a first dose in Victoria was Friday 29 October.
A Royal Melbourne hospital spokesperson said eight staff had chosen not to get vaccinated and had resigned, a further eight had their employment terminated after stating they would not get the jab, and another 35 staff had been stood down.
“This is to allow them to potentially rethink their position and us, as an organisation, to go through the process that may potentially lead to further terminations of employment,” the spokesperson said.
The 51 staff impacted represents just 0.45% of the hospital’s 11,000-strong workforce. They held a range of roles including nursing, administration, ward clerks and clinical positions – though none were doctors.
A professor of epidemiology with the University of Sydney, Alexandra Martinuik, said the staff losses at the Royal Melbourne hospital were reasonable.
“A kind gesture from the hospital could be to reach out to these staff to ask them if they have any questions about vaccination, or if there is anything more the hospital could do to help them choose immunisation,” she said.
“But if these staff continue to choose not to be immunised then I do think it is reasonable for someone working in healthcare to resign, or be stood down if they are not Covid vaccinated and they don’t have a medical exemption, as it is much less safe for them and their patients and colleagues if not immunised.”
Guardian Australia asked a number of major hospitals about the impact of the vaccine mandate in Victoria. The Royal Melbourne hospital was the only institution to provide a response.
In New South Wales, the impact of the mandate on health worker numbers is being collated by the state’s health department. A NSW Health spokesperson said work was under way to reconcile data from across local health districts, networks and organisations.
“With regard to the final number of people who may no longer work with NSW Health as they decided not to be vaccinated against Covid-19, this will become clear once this work is complete,” the department said.
“This is because not all these people will resign due to their views, and each person’s particular circumstances need to be worked through by the local health districts and due process needs to be applied to all employees.”
The data would be made available “in due course,” the spokesperson said.
In early October, NSW Health said fewer than 0.1% of its staff had resigned as a result of the Covid vaccination mandate, contradicting claims opposition to the jab could lead to staff shortages.
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On Monday, Queensland’s health minister, Yvette D’Ath, said more than 7,000 health staff were yet to confirm their vaccination status as required and about 4,000 were set to receive show-cause notices and be suspended on full pay.
“We will put in place measures to manage any workforce shortages that might occur,” the minister said.
Mandatory Coivd-19 vaccination for health workers is a move supported by the Australian Medical Association, with president Omar Khorshid saying legal protection should also be given to healthcare employers who mandate vaccinations.
The AMA has welcomed mandatory health worker vaccinations in Victoria, NSW, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland but want a nationally consistent policy that applies to GPs and practice staff, pharmacists, hospital staff, ambulance staff, cooks and cleaners, with no exemptions except for legitimate medical reasons.
