Thousands of NHS staff with long Covid risk losing their pay

Thousands of NHS staff across the UK are facing pay cuts because of a change in Covid sickness policy.

Analysis by BBC Panorama suggests that between 5,000 and 10,000 NHS workers could be off sick with Long Covid.

Unions are accusing the government of failing to support health staff who worked during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government says the Covid-19 public inquiry will examine these issues when it begins taking evidence in May.

Changes to special sick pay rules introduced during the pandemic mean that some NHS staff unable to work due to Long Covid may soon no longer receive full pay.

Enhanced provision ended last year. Many had a six-month transition, so expect their wages to go down soon.

Some face losing their jobs.

Professor David Strain is the chair of the Board of Science at the British Medical Association (BMA) and says this makes him "genuinely angry".

He explains: "We've got a group of people that have put themselves forward to look after the population, they've been left with an illness and they're not being supported.

"They're just in a no man's land."

He believes that health workers with long Covid should be allowed to focus on their recovery without money worries.

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Source: BBC News, 30 January 2023