FRONTLINE workers at Great Western Hospital are among those praised by health bosses for coming forward to have their Covid jabs. 

It has been revealed that 98 per cent of NHS workers across the region have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

This includes staff from GWH, the Royal United Hospital in Bath and Salisbury District Hospital as well as those based in more than 90 GP practices.

Around 97 per cent are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which is higher than the national average of 88 per cent. 

Director of nursing and quality Gill May said: “We know that Covid-19, like other respiratory viruses, spreads more easily during the winter and, as we approach these colder months, the need for our health and care workers to be fully vaccinated has never been greater. 

“It is really important to us that our fantastic health and care staff are kept safe, and I’d strongly urge any person yet to have the vaccine to come forward. 

“As health and care professionals, we also have a duty to keep this awful virus away from the very people we are looking after, and the Covid-19 vaccine is a simple and safe way for us to do exactly that.”

But vaccine uptake among staff working in care homes has been lower than their NHS counterparts, with around 91 per cent of care home staff having received one jab and 83 per cent having had both. 

It comes after the government introduced new legislation which requires all care home staff working in CQC-regulated care homes in England to be fully vaccinated by November 11, unless exempt. 

Those yet to receive a jab must have their first dose by tomorrow to meet the November deadline. 

The CCG, local authorities and care home managers have been working together in recent weeks to encourage workers to take up the vaccine. The collaboration will continue throughout September and October. 

Vaccine information sessions have been held at care homes across the region, alongside individual meetings with staff, and teams are now exploring the possibility of running pop-up vaccine clinics in care homes where uptake has been lower than expected. 

Dozens of coronavirus vaccine clinics remain open across Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, with many now offering people the opportunity to walk-in and have the jab without an appointment.