Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

TestingCoronavirusVaccinationsNHSSelf-isolation

Fully vaccinated critical workers exempted from self-isolation

by Jo Faragher 19 Jul 2021
by Jo Faragher 19 Jul 2021 Mark Thomas / Alamy Stock Photo
Mark Thomas / Alamy Stock Photo

Critical staff in ‘exceptional circumstances’ – including some NHS workers, air traffic controllers and railway signallers – will be allowed to carry on working if they are exposed to someone that tests positive for Covid, the government has announced.

From today (19 July), frontline staff where absences could lead to “a significant risk of harm” will be exempt from having to self-isolate if the NHS Covid-19 app advises them to.

Testing at work

Coronavirus: Workplace testing policy

Testing, health monitoring and vaccination

They will, however, need to show a negative PCR test, take daily lateral flow tests and be double vaccinated.

The government initially announced the change for some NHS workers, but the policy has since been widened to include workers providing a critical service in other sectors, such as transport, in order to prevent serious disruption to vital public services.

Decisions to inform employers that designated critical workers may have a reasonable excuse to attend work will be made by the relevant government department for their sector.

Like many employers, the NHS has been hit by staff shortages as rising case numbers have led to high numbers of staff being “pinged” by the app and required to isolate for 10 days from first contact with someone who tested positive.

Qualifying criteria will be determined on a case-by-case basis, it added, and “must be authorised by the organisation’s local Director of Infection Prevention and Control” or relevant director of public health.

Staff that receive the exemption must self-isolate when not at work and if they do develop Covid symptoms should immediately stay at home. They will also not be permitted to work with clinically extremely vulnerable patients.

Health secretary Sajid Javid said: “As we learn to live with this virus, it’s important that we ensure frontline staff can keep providing the best possible care and support to people up and down the country.

“These new rules will fortify our collective defences against this awful virus, by allowing fully vaccinated frontline NHS and social care staff to continue to work when needed.”

Dr Jenny Harries, UK Health Security Agency chief executive, said guidance had been issued for situations “where there is a significant risk to health or safety resulting from staff absence or a critical service cannot run”.

Last week, the NHS app sent self-isolation alerts to more than 530,000 people as the average number of daily confirmed cases rose to more than 48,000.

Employers and industry bodies such as the CBI have called for the government to bring forward plans for a “test and release” system that would enable staff across all sectors to be released from isolation early if they could demonstrate a negative PCR test.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The current self-isolation rules in England are not due to change until 16 August. After that, anyone who ihas been fully vaccinated for two weeks or more will no longer have to self-isolate if found to have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. This will be the case in Scotland from 9 August and in Wales from 7 August.

HR opportunities in Healthcare on Personnel Today


Browse more HR opportunities in healthcare

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
Appeal finds indecent image teacher dismissal was fair
next post
‘The reputation of the service, the perception of OH, has really changed, and in a positive way’

You may also like

Young people are less work-ready, say employers

7 May 2025

Five years on: how has work changed since...

12 Mar 2025

Ramadan in the workplace: top tips for employers

21 Feb 2025

Hospital porter who refused to wear mask fairly...

2 Jan 2025

RSPH urging at risk to get vaccinated as...

6 Dec 2024

CPD activities: Learning from the experiences of working...

5 Dec 2024

CPD: Exploring the experiences of working from home...

5 Dec 2024

Delivering occupational health policies in prisons during the...

2 Sep 2024

BA’s associative discrimination appeal dismissed by EAT

16 Aug 2024

Who will be eligible for NHS covid jabs...

2 Aug 2024

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today