NHS HEROES WITH LONG COVID HAVE SICK PAY SLASHED
Medics hit out as cash halved
TENS of thousands of NHS staff suffering Long Covid have had their sick pay cut in half.
Until last month heroes struck down by the virus got full wages regardless of how long they were off.
But from September the Government ruled those ill more than six months will be on half pay.
Around 60,000 NHS staff are still suffering crippling symptoms, according to official figures.
A consultant at an NHS trust in the South told us the move made her feel “chucked on the rubbish tip” .
She has been unable to work since catching the virus in November 2020 . The medic said: “The guilt of not working is terrible. But with Long Covid the harder you push, the worse you get. Covid isn’t listed as an occupational disease, so there’s no compensation scheme.
“I’ve sacrificed so much for the NHS. Now it has taken my health too. ”
The British Medical Association has slammed the decision, which puts NHS staff back on the pre-pandemic sick pay terms in their contract.
Professor Philip Banfield, chair of the BMA council, warned: “The removal of Covid sick pay provisions means many staff still ill with Long Covid will feel pressured back to work before they have fully recovered. Many are fearful about how they will pay mortgages or feed families.
“Putting healthcare workers in these situations is unacceptable. We need long term support for staff and a compensation scheme.”
He said new Health Secretary Therese Coffey must reinstate Covid sick pay and recommend to Parliament that Long Covid should be made an occupational disease.
Covid infections are rising again, with 1.1 million testing positive in the week to September 20.
The 14% week-on-week hike is the biggest rise since the summer, with one in 60 people having the virus.
NHS figures also show that Covid is on the rise in hospitals.
A government spokesman said the move back to normal sick pay provided NHS staff with generous support. He said there was a “strong financial safety net” for anyone with long Covid “including Universal Credit”.
I sacrificed so much for the NHS. Now I feel like I’ve been chucked on the rubbish tip CONSULTANT WITH LONG COVID ON DESPAIR OVER SICK PAY