The Government is about to cut the "enhanced" sick pay for NHS workers in England who are off with Covid despite the number of cases and hospital admissions beginning to soar once again.
The Royal College of Nursing has said the Department of Health and Social Care wants changes to the way Covid-19 related sickness absence and self-isolation will be managed for NHS staff in England. From July 7, staff terms and conditions in Covid-19 workforce guidance will be withdrawn, meaning the immediate withdrawal of sick pay for new episodes of Covid-19 sickness, according to the RCN, plus access to Covid-19 special leave for the purposes of self-isolation will also be withdrawn.
Patricia Marquis, the college's England director, said: “This decision is hugely disappointing given that Covid-19 clearly hasn’t gone away, and nursing staff continue to be disproportionately affected by the virus as they face higher risk of exposure. We know many of our members are suffering from long Covid, with their lives adversely affected, making them unable to work.
