The Workers Union is backing the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Coronavirus after it wrote to Boris Johnson to call for a support package for frontline health workers suffering from “long Covid”.
The initiative is fronted by Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who is chair of the committee of MPs looking at Coronavirus.
During an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today progamme, Miss Moran said that these ‘were the people that we went out to clap for every Thursday evening…and find themselves unable to do their work, having spent their time saving lives. It is entirely right to protect their livelihoods.’
Miss Moran argued that many key workers affected by long Covid are finding it difficult to return to work. She went on to say that people in this situation should be supported by regular payments that reflect their circumstances.
The British Medical Journal estimates that roughly ten percent of people who’ve contracted COVID-19 are dealing with long-term effects on their health. Symptoms are known to include loss of taste and smell, chronic fatigue and heart-related problems.
The Workers Union on Supporting Sufferers of Long Covid
We applaud the APPG for its principled stand – now we need to see action from the government. It is entirely wrong that the people who’ve given so much to keep this nation on its feet are being abandoned.
We want to see long Covid treated in the same way as other occupational hazards. That means recognising it as a very real risk factor for those who work in frontline healthcare. Some degree of financial protection is therefore essential – and not only because it gives under-pressure, stressed and frankly often unwell people one less thing to worry about. It also gives staff an incentive to stay away from work until they are truly ready to return. That can only help reduce the spread of the virus and give our beleaguered hospitals and care homes a chance to recover.
There’s never been a better time to show genuine support for the heroes that make our NHS and our social care services great.
The Worker Union – fighting for social justice, fighting for you
