‘Unconscionable’ that the Government has not recognised Long COVID as an occupational disease, warns BMA and RCN
The BMA and Royal College of Nursing have today1 written to the Government urging them to recognise long COVID and severe post COVID-19 complications as a prescribed industrial disease for health and social care workers.
The letter, co-signed by the chair of the BMA Dr Tom Dolphin and the RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger, marks three years since the IIAC’s (Industrial Injuries Advisory Council) command paper ‘COVID-19 and Occupational Impacts’ was presented before Parliament.
The unions representing doctors and nurses are urging the Government to accept the recommendations of the command paper as a crucial first step in recognising the risks that health and care workers took on during the pandemic, as the letter reads:
“The UK Government needs to act quickly and provide support now to the many doctors and nursing staff, and their families, who have suffered significant financial losses as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace and then developing Long COVID.”
Dr Dolphin and Professor Ranger warn in the letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the ‘debilitating effects’ of Long COVID on numerous doctors, nursing and midwifery staff, many of whom were previously left, or remain, unable to work, leading to significant financial detriment. The letter notes that providing recognition of certain post COVID complications as an occupational disease would allow some of those affected to receive Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits.
Supporting the call for the Government to urgently accept the recommendations in the command paper, BMA occupational medicine committee chair, Dr Kathryn McKinnon said:
“It is deeply disappointing that we yet again mark another year where the Government has failed to recognise Long COVID and severe post COVID-19 complications as an occupational disease in healthcare workers.
“Despite praise for the efforts of doctors and healthcare workers during the pandemic, the Government has fallen short of taking this necessary step to recognise, and go some way towards compensating, those whose lives have been significantly blighted by the long-term impacts of COVID-19, which they caught while at work.
“It is unconscionable that the Government has kept these workers, who put themselves at immense personal risk to keep our health services afloat and to care for our loved ones during the pandemic, waiting for so long for recognition.”
Calling on the Government to take immediate action, the RCN Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Leona Cameron said:
“It is now three years since the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council made their recommendation to the Department of Work and Pensions for recognition of five post COVID-19 complications for the purpose of claiming Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
"For those suffering from these conditions, this is three years too long and action needs to be taken now”
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