Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is having with NHS leadership on occupational health support for (a) NHS and (b) outsourced staff working in hospitals who are experiencing symptoms of long covid.

Supporting the occupational health of all National Health Service (NHS) and outsourced staff working in hospitals is a priority for the Government. We know emerging evidence is showing a number of people who contract COVID-19 experience the effects of the virus months after initially falling ill and so additional support may be required. The NHS People Plan published in July commits to enhanced occupational health support for NHS staff to ensure they are supported to stay well at work.

NHS England has announced a £10 million investment to support people with Long COVID. On 18 December 2020 NHSEI NHS England and NHS Improvement also announced that 69 Long Covid assessment service centres were now operational across England to assess people with long-term effects of COVID-19 and direct them to effective treatment pathways.