Nursing staff and doctors with long COVID are still being denied access to vital financial support, 2 years after the government’s own scientific advisory body called for ministers to take action.
Thousands of health and care staff contracted long COVID during the pandemic, leading to serious health complications. It’s left many unable to continue working, forcing them out of work and into huge losses in earnings.
Nursing staff with the condition report severe hardship, including having to draw from their pensions to meet living costs.
We’ve written a letter to the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, also signed by the British Medical Association (BMA), describing the failure to act on the UK government’s Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) recommendations and prescribe the disease as occupational as a ‘betrayal’, urging the government to take action.
In the letter to Liz Kendall, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger and BMA Chair Professor Phil Banfield say: “Health care workers who contracted long COVID are facing monumental health struggles, with many forced out of their jobs and into early retirement. This has been devastating, not only to their professional pride but also to their personal finances.
"After years of dedicated service, they must jump through hoops to access benefits, spending retirement funds that should have been saved for later in life. For health care workers to be treated this way, considering their key role during the pandemic, amounts to a deep betrayal—and must be rectified.”
It comes as new data from the RCN’s advice line shows it has received thousands of calls since January 2022 from nursing staff seeking help with long COVID. We believe that these figures are likely the tip of the iceberg with many more suffering in silence.
On 16 November 2022, 2 years ago today, the IIAC recommended COVID complications be recognised as having been acquired at work, giving staff more routes to access vital Industrial Injuries and Disablement Benefits (IIDB).
Currently IIDB covers more than 70 diseases, including asthma, emphysema and deafness, but COVID is not yet listed, making it a challenge for health and care staff to secure financial support.
In its report, the IIAC concluded that for those working in health and care services “there is a significantly increased risk of infection, subsequent illness, and death. The Council therefore feels that there is sufficient evidence to recommend prescription for these workers.”
This follows a letter we wrote sent last year, insisting the previous government class long COVID as an occupational disease for health care workers.
We’ve also written to the Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, urging them to question the government as to why it has not acted upon the IIAC recommendations.
Globally, more than 50 countries have recognised COVID as an occupational disease.
