Temporarily exempt NHS frontline staff from being required to do jury service

I am a GP working on the frontline including vaccinating patients. I have been selected for jury service. I can only defer once within a year therefore I applied to be excused. My request was initially declined.

This situation is happening to colleagues across the NHS. I am more than willing to do jury service in the future but strongly feel that my skills are better placed responding to the pandemic and continuing my role within the NHS at this time and in the coming months. I would request that any frontline staff are currently able to be excused by a simple process whilst the NHS remains under intense pressure and the vaccination programme is rolled out.