From 7 July, the government plans to withdraw special paid leave for Covid-related sickness and isolation for NHS staff in England, meaning they will return to normal contractual sick pay arrangements. Periods of absence due to Covid are fully paid for all NHS workers at the moment, regardless of their length of service. Professor Raymond Agius, co-chairman of the BMA’s medical work committee, said the decision to end “is completely unacceptable and will put patients and health workers at significant risk”. “NHS staff rely on this special Covid leave so they can recover effectively and return to work safely,” he said. “Abolishing this support is dangerous to patient care and putting pressure on people to return to work, which will eventually happen, is appalling and demonstrates once again that the government does not care about the health and well-being of NHS staff’. He added that not only would it force many employees to continue working if they show symptoms, it could have a “significant impact” on their livelihoods if they develop long-term Covid. “At a time when we are seeing infection rates rise rapidly across the country, the risk to staff remains very high,” said Agios. “However, the government has removed many of the usual protections in healthcare settings and is not providing adequate protection and support for doctors.” The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) also criticized the move. Patricia Marquis, director of RCN England, said: “We know that many of our members are suffering from prolonged Covid, with their lives being negatively affected, leaving them unable to work. “To face the threat of losing full sick pay if they remain ill from a condition that some might argue is an occupational hazard is negligent and unfair. It’s another indication of how little the UK government values its nursing workforce.” Agius called for a “long-term strategy” to tackle Covid, which is “underpinned by adequate research, data collection and long-term investment”, which should include “improved financial and wider support for those unable to work due to long-term Covid” . . The BMA said it supports calls from the all-party coronavirus caucus for a compensation scheme for frontline workers. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that around 2.3 million people in the UK – or one in 30 – have the virus, a 32% increase on the previous week. This increase is due to two new fast-spreading sub-variants of Omicron called BA.4 and BA.5. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “As we learn to live with Covid, we are withdrawing the temporary NHS staff guidance on the disease that was put in place at the height of the pandemic as part of plans to return to business as usual arrangements set out in the NHS terms and conditions. “This provides generous support for NHS staff with up to six months’ full pay and six months’ half pay, depending on length of service.”
