The Christian Medical Fellowship says believers working in the NHS could be forced to leave their jobs if the Government pushes ahead with plans to make healthcare staff have the Covid vaccine.

Health secretary Sajid Javid says he's 'leaning towards' making the vaccines a requirement for health service staff, due to concerns about patient safety. 

Labour has warned it could lead to thousands leaving the profession.

While expressing sympathy for the health secretary's position, Mark Pickering head of the Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) has told Premier he can't get behind the proposals.

He said: "Those with concerns over the Covid vaccine are often dismissed as being anti-vaxxers, slightly crazy people who don't like vaccines in general, whereas, for most Christians who have misgivings about it...these are very specific pro-life concerns, particularly about the use of aborted foetal tissue in the production and research of some of these vaccines.

"In general, our view at CMF is that these these links to the foetal cells are far back enough that it's not something that we would advise people to be so worried about - but we have to respect the consciences of those who, for very good reasons, think 'I just can't tolerate that'". 

Pickering is encouraging the Government to make vaccines which have less links to aborted foetal tissue more readily available as he issued a warning about the possibility of staff departures.

"I think some staff will end up leaving their jobs. We've seen similar things in care home staff which is just an absolute disaster at a time when you need all the staff you can get. I think I would urge the health secretary to be lenient and understanding to make sure that employers are able to find alternative roles that are perhaps less patient facing."

The Catholic Church in England and Wales has said taking the vaccine is a matter of individual conscience but believes it is compatible with Church teaching.