Carer hits out at payment to key workers

A DUNDEE carer has hit out at a “slap in the face” payment handed to key workers during the pandemic.

The woman, who did not want to be named, was among frontline staff given only £25 extra to meet the “increased cost of laundering work uniforms.”

The woman is in the high-risk category if she contracts the virus. She has been working with vulnerable members of the Dundee community since the outbreak began.

She said: “This is a slap in the face. I can’t even speak when I think about it. It’s absolutely disgusting.

I’m struggling to find the words to describe how I’m feeling.”

She said the amount offered was an insult to those who continued to risk their lives to look after others.

“We’ve been working extra shifts. We’ve been covering up because there’s been that many off sick. Everything has caught up with me now,” she added.

“That wouldn’t even start to cover the extra cost of washing.

“We’ve been changing and washing our clothes every day since this thing started.”

Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership (DHSCP) brings together health and social care services for individuals and communities in Dundee.

It is made up of Dundee City Council, NHS Tayside, the charity sector and independent providers of health and social care services.

A spokeswoman for DHSCP said: “In recognition of the increased cost of laundering work uniforms we agreed, in consultation with trade unions, to pay our social care workers in homecare, care homes and learning disabilities a one-off payment towards this cost.

“Our social care workers are continuing to play an instrumental role in supporting the most vulnerable members of the community during this pandemic.

“We would like to thank them for their unwavering dedication and hard work for the people they care for.”

A DUNDEE support service that provides play services for disabled children is hoping to lift spirits with personalised greetings from Santa.

Youngsters at The Yard, in Mid Craigie, are invited to sign up for a handwritten letter or video from Father Christmas.

While the deadline has passed for videos, filmed in The Yard’s outdoor Solardome-turnedgrotto, families can sign up for a letter in return for a donation.

The money will help with the service’s efforts to provide in-person and online support for families