More than 240 frontline workers at Royal Bolton Hospital could have seen their jobs saved thanks to the pausing of the compulsory vaccine mandate.

Earlier this year, unions had warned that the vaccine made policy could force up to 500 of the borough’s hospital staff out of their jobs because they had yet to receive both Covid vaccinations.

But now the hospital’s most recent board meeting has heard that though around 244 of those workers remain unvaccinated, they can remain in place as long as strict infection control measures are followed.

Director of people and deputy chief executive James Mawrey said: “The safety of our patients is our utmost priority and we follow strict infection, prevention and control guidelines to protect them, their loved ones and our staff.

“While the government has removed mandatory vaccination for health and social care staff we continue to advise vaccination, and subsequent boosters, as the best protection against COVID-19.”

The compulsory vaccination programme had already been sharply criticised by both local and national campaigners, with Unison Bolton branch secretary and vice president Andrea Egan arguing that the policy risked undermining the health service.

Ms Egan and other Unison officials warned that more experienced workers were driven out, while the plan did not take account of the reasons why people may have been unable to be jabbed.

Along with the 244 unvaccinated staff, the board at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust also heard that between 50 and 60 workers indicated that the did not intend to receive the vaccine in future.

Bolton West MP Chris Green, a long term critic of compulsory vaccinations, welcomed the move but responding to the latest findings said he feared that damage had already been done to the health and care sectors.

He said: “It’s incredibly difficult for the care sector to get back to normal, if people have already left and got a new job why would they want to go back?”

He added: “It applies to all parts of the care and health sectors that once you’ve lost talented people who feel they’ve been forced out, its very difficult to get them back again.”