HOPE OF BORIS U-TURN ON PAY
PM hints at a rethink amid fears of strike & staff exodus
and “revisit this insulting proposal”. He added: “If the Government were indeed grateful for the huge sacrifices made by healthcare workers during the pandemic, it would have recommended a pay increase that recognised their efforts.”
The public overwhelmingly backs a bigger rise. An Opinium/Observer study found 72% think it should be more. Some 58% of Tory voters agree.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth branded the 1% “absolutely disgusting” adding: “Boris Johnson promised at least 2.1%. He’s broken his promise and is cutting nurses’ pay.”
Health staff took their fight to No10 holding banners saying: “No more
clapping, no more empty gestures – increase wages, fund our NHS” and “NHS workers say no to 1% – 15% or we strike.” Police intervened at a demo in St Peter’s Square, Manchester.
Health employee Karen Reissman told workers: “I think we’ve made the point we wanted to make. We sent a message to the Government.”
Defending the 1% proposal, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it was “what we believe we can afford”.
Teachers and others in the public sector face a pay freeze, he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday.
Latest figures showed 22,213,112 people have had a first Covid jab.
A further 5,177 people tested positive, 707 Covid patients were admitted to hospital and there were 82 new deaths, giving a total of 124,501.
JOHN Ross is overcome with emotion as he finally gets to hold his wife’s hand and gaze into her eyes after Covid-19 restrictions kept them apart for a year.
The Mirror highlighted 89-year-old John’s plight last month, heartbreaking pictures showing how he had aged rapidly after having little to no contact with family. Now, that can begin to change.
John, who has vascular dementia, struggles to remember Marlene, also in her 80s, after not seeing her for so long. But regular visits and proper contact will help him.
Daughter Penny
Ogden, 59, of Liverpool, was also able to see him. She says: “My dad can start to remember my mum again, we are able to hold his hand in his room – not outside in the cold. It’s like amazing to see him, he is so happy to see us. The home has been amazing.”
The Government told care operators they should make physical contact possible in homes from today, using testing and PPE, after pre ssure from campaign group Rights for Residents, charities and MPs.
Some care homes, John’s, were able to grant some compassionate visits indoors earlier – but they are the lucky ones.
Homes only got four days’ notice after guidelines on how to facilitate indoor visits were released last Thursday, so many may still not be able to allow indoor visits and physical contact yet. Their reasoning includes concerns about safety, vaccine status and implications on insurance if a visitor were to bring the virus in. But it has led to a “postcode lottery”. Care
It’s really amazing to see him, he is so happy to see us
PENNY OGDEN ON DAD JOHN’S REACTION
operators have been told they should allow three types of visit, all of which can be offered simultaneously.
There is a nominated single named visitor who can enter for regular visits, an essential care giver for residents with the highest care needs, and other visits from friends or family with arrangements such as outdoor visits.
Karen Rogers’ mum Marion Searle, from Plympton, Plymouth, has gone downhill rapidly in the past year.
On Tuesday, she will be reunited with the 75-year-old, who has advanced dementia – but only once a week for half an hour, as her home has not classed her as an essential care giver.
Karen says: “Mum now has to be fed pureed food, can’t walk, is incontinent and can no longer hold a conversation.